What's a Save State?
by 300 I.Q. Prower
Summary: College student who gets brought into the world of the game to fill the role of tactician. He's a master of the game, and has a magic dagger. The catch? He's reliant on save states for keeping everybody alive, and who's to say reality will play out just like a game? Oh and did I mention he's madly in love with a certain Sacaean? (Rated T for language and blood, discretion advised)
1. Prologue: Another World

**AN: Welcome one and all you wonderful people who for whatever reason clicked on my story! I've written stories before but never shared them, this is my first full on attempt at a proper story. I was inspired by the story "Rekka no Ken: A Story Retold" and I highly recommend it. Anyways there is no set schedule to uploads, for the first few chapters it will be at regular-ish intervals, but then things will no doubt lose all sense of schedule. Please please PLEASE provide any feedback you can, constructive criticism is the greatest gift you can give me as a writer! With all that said….uh, enjoy!**

* * *

9:30AM:

At a small private college, in an on-campus housing dorm, a young man rose from slumber… and promptly fell out of bed with a cry of pain.

" _My aching… damn, these beds are too thin…"_ He thought as he got up and stumbled to the bathroom. He got his tinted glasses and put them on before looking at himself in the mirror. His brown, mid length hair was a mess. A short while later he was out of the bathroom, properly dressed and looking significantly improved. "Right, New Years tonight…" he muttered as he glanced at the calendar. It waa getting harder by the week to find it in his wall due to an ever growing collection of vinyl. His eyes passed over the other half of his dorm room, where there was a neatly made bed and electric keyboard, both recently unused. " _Riley's not gonna be back until the day after tomorrow, so not much to do with others…."_ He sighed, making a mental note to at least TRY to make a couple more friends to hang out with. He moved his guitar case out of the way of his drawers, next to several boxes with sheet music poking out.

With a Semper Ludens hoodie to keep him warm, the young man went to lie on an outside bench and relax in the fresh air.

* * *

"Hey Rec! Didn't know you were still here!" a tall redheaded girl the boy called Rec's age, and about an inch taller, said as she approached the bench on roller skates

"Hey Ashley." Rec said without taking his eyes off his PS Vita.

"That's all? No 'oh thanks Ashley for taking the time to check up on me in my loneliness stuck at college over the holidays'?

"I'm not stuck here, i just don't like the family gatherings over the holidays. I can't stand most of my extended family. We've been over this."

Ashley looked over 'Rec's' shoulder, pretended to be invested in what game he was playing.

"Sooooooo…." Ashley began.

Rec sighed and paused his Vita. "Alright, Ashe, what favor do you need THIS time?"

Ashley just smiled innocently. "Hey that's a pretty rude thing to say ya know! All I was gonna ask is for some tutoring in languages."

"How does this involve me? I don't know Chinese."

"But you do know Latin!" Ashley countered. "Maddy, a friend of mine, is taking Latin here and she could use some help."

Rec thought hard. "Maddy… oh, Maddelyn, that last minute transfer?"

"That's her! We were pen pals before she transferred here. Anyways c'mon! You're the best Latin student I know! Pretty please?" she pleaded. At last Rec let his shoulders drop.

"...fine. But you owe me big time, we've been over this-"

"Yeah yeah, you don't like dealing with people. Don't worry, I'm sure you and Maddy will get along great. Besides, you could use a girlfriend, I doubt you want everyone calling you Recluse forever."

Rec's pale skin flushed a bit in both anger and embarrassment. "Okay one: I should've known you were trying to hook me up again. And two: How long until you learn that-"

Ashley completely ignored him. "And I don't care if you 'don't like people', that's no excuse for almost going on 20 and having never even flirted with a girl. Thanks again!" Ashley ruffled Rec's already unkempt hair, before skating off. In the distance she could hear him yell: "STOP PLAYING MATCHMAKER!"

Exasperated, Rec went to his dorm's recreation room. "I need some Fire Emblem…"

* * *

As the credit sequence to Blazing Sword on the screen of his Wii U ended, Rec checked the room's clock: 11:59 PM, December 31st.

" _Fireworks are gonna start soon… whatever, I skipped homecoming, I can afford to skip this too."_ It was his usual line of reasoning for skipping social gatherings.

There was a long sigh as Rec lolled on the couch, in the silent freshman dorm.

" _Everyone should be celebrating right about now…"_ He thought before he looked at the clear time. "yeah, that looks about right…give or take a couple of hours shaved off by save states." He yawned as a sudden drowsiness swept over him. " _Already exhausted? Must be losing my edge, it's only midnight…"_ he thought as he powered the system off and made his way around the first corner into his bedroom, he used his key with it's tag with initials and number "G.M. 103H" immediately collapsing on the bed, images of all his favorite characters, not a single one having died under his watch, congratulating him still fresh in his mind…

The young man heard fireworks in the distance as he almost immediately succumbed to sleep.

* * *

With a migraine in his head, the same young man awoke in an open plain, the wind rustling the long grass. Drowsily and painfully he roused from sleep, unable to fully process what was going on, before he heard a voice. Nothing was functioning right though, he couldn't even make out what the voice sounded like as his vision settled in, and as he turned to the voice what he saw made his heart stop short.

Looking down from above him was a green haired teenager with a long blue dress. She repeated herself louder. "Hey! Are you okay? You-" the voice was cut off as the young man immediately blacked out completely with one word in his mind: " _Impossible."_

* * *

With a soft splash of cold water on his face, the freshman awoke with a start in a bed. He took in his surroundings, and once more his heart nearly froze over.

"Please stop blacking out!" the young woman huffed, worried but irritated. It seems this was not her first time waking her guest.

To his credit, the freshman managed to not black out. He did, however, begin hyperventilating. After being handed some water, he downed it in an instant and his breathing began to return to normal. After a long silence with the hostess waiting intensely, the young man spoke. "Am I… is this Sacae?" he whispered, not for fear but for lack of composure. Terror and hope both in his voice.

"Yes, I found you outside in the open plain." The girl responded. "You blacked out when you saw me, though. Can you remember much?"

"I… I felt a sudden drowsiness come over me…"

"You must have passed out, it's the only reason I can think of for going to sleep in an open field." The girl said with unintentional wit. "My name is Lyn, do you remember your name?"

With those words the young man began to finally get a grip on hi situation, but he quickly started stumbling over his words. "M-M-My n-name? Oh! It's…" there was a long pause as the girl began to fear for her guests mental state, but her fears were eased when he finally answered "Varric. V-Varric Solas."

The girl seemed almost bewildered by the response. "Varric Solas? A strange name….I didn't even know such kinds of names existed, it sounds unreal…" She thought aloud and the young man winced.

"I uh… I get that a lot…" he mumbled. Immediately the girl looked apologetic.

"Forgive me! Pay it no mind, it is still a good name! By your clothes I take it you aren't from Sacae yourself?"

"My clothes-" at that, Varric realized he was wearing a familiar green cloak. "I… I really am…" he said aloud in disbelief.

"Where might you be from then-?" Lyn began before there was the sound of very loud bickering outside. "Bandits!" she said in a hushed exclamation. She quickly grabbed a sword by the exit of her hut and was halfway out before Varric realized a crucial error.

"Wait! You forgot your vulnerary!" he said instinctively. Lyn turned bewildered as she realized he was right.

"How did you…never mind, thank you!" she said as she dashed out.

Before he even realized it, Varric was out the hut himself, realizing A. he still had his athletic shoes on for some reason, and B. based on the error Lyn made before, she might very well need more guidance.

* * *

By the time he caught up, Lyn was already using her Vulnerary to heal a mild wound she'd received from her encounter with the first of the two bandits. "He got lucky… wait, Varric?! You should be-"

"Listen to me!" he interjected fearfully; he had trouble gathering his words with Lyn's gaze on him, but eventually spoke in an almost eccentric manner. "The other bandit, Batta, he'll do a lot of bragging. Don't get intimidated, after his first attack he'll be wide open to a deathblow," he said rapid-fire, barely intelligible to Lyn as she listened only becoming even more bewildered.

"How do you know this?" She said doubtfully.

"I… I've seen him fight before!" Varric quickly lied. He failed to sound convincing, but Lyn couldn't argue against his response. " _please believe me, I can't let anything happen…"_

"…You don't sound sure even of yourself, but then again, not once have you since awakening. Stay back, hide in case the worst happens. Use your dagger and go for his back if need be."

"Dagger-?" Varric started but couldn't finish as Lyn quickly but carefully approached the remaining bandit. " _I have a dagger?"_ Varric thought to himself before finding, to his surprise, there was a curved, razor sharp blade under his cloak. It's hilt was a mix of green colors , almost like camouflage for foliage. What stood out, however, was the hilt. It has a cobalt gemstone embedded in the hilt, with 5 slots in the hilt connected to the embedded gemstone. " _What on earth is this supposed to be?"_

* * *

"Bahaha! You, a little girl, dare challenge Batta the Beast?!" the bandit exclaimed, laughing menacingly. "This is downright pathetic! And did you think I didn't see your little friend over there? When I'm through with you, he'll be next if he doesn't hightail it!" the bandit went on and on for literal minutes bragging as Lyn simply awaited his attack.

" _Well, he certainly is bragging, just as Varric said he would."_ "Enough with the talking, ready

your weapon!"

"Eh? You don't want to hear my achievements? I figured you'd be a little happier if you knew what you were up against before being killed! BUT HAVE IT YOUR WAY!"

" _I don't know why I'm putting my faith in a stranger's prediction… but… the way he spoke, it was as if he'd experienced it before..."_ Lyn thought as she went against her instinct and, rather than attacking first, prepared herself to dodge her opponent's strike. True enough, she avoided a heavy blow and her opponent was wide open.

" _Please, use your Critical Hit…"_ Varric pleaded in his mind from his watching point.

"Agh! What is wrong with me today? Sorry about that beaut- what?!" Batta exclaimed as he realized his opponent had vanished.

"Goodbye." Lyn's voice echoed as there was a flash of her blade and she reappeared in front of Batta on one knee, her blade stabbing behind her through her opponent's chest.

There was a clash of wonder and horror in Varric as he saw both his first killing, and the reality of something he had only seen through an animation of pixels.

* * *

"Your advice today was invaluable. I may not have survived either bandit had it not been for you." Lyn said as Varric was writing down everything he could remember with incredible fervor.

"huh?" he looked up from his writing to Lyn, and he reddened deeply at her smile. "O-Oh, it's n-nothing, just what I do…" he shrugged off as he kept writing in a language Lyn couldn't even begin to decipher."

"It's… what you do? You mean, your profession?" She asked with piqued interest.

"Yeah. Um…I guess you could say…I'm a tactician by trade, if that makes sense. I analyze strengths and weaknesses of friend and foe, and instruct people through battles." He said as he finished writing and folded the parchment before putting it under his cloak, along with his dagger and another newfound item on him. He began taking deep, concentrated breaths in an attempt to keep from becoming a stammering wreck.

Lyn had an epiphany. "So that's how you predicted those things! You knew his weaknesses through observation! And it also explains why you're in general so observational, like noticing I had no Vulnerary…"

"Actually, I'm just by nature a very observational person. But… um… yeah, you're right about Batta." He said nervously.

"It must be problematic for someone with your duty to naturally speak so unassured of himself…" Lyn said pityingly.

Varric hung his head. " _Already I've made a poor impression… and with Lyn of all people."_ He quickly snapped out of it though as he had a realization and ran out to the battleground.

"Wait! It might be dangerous to go out there!" Lyn cried and followed him.

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?!" Lyn said in disgust as Varric, despite wanting to puke at just the sight of the body, checked Batta's body for belonging or valuables.

"There's a phrase in war: to the victor go the spoils." Varric said stoically, in almost physical pain from Lyn's disapproval.

"But-!" Lyn stated.

"Look, I know it may seem as bad as them, but I'm doing this for our sake. What if he was carrying a message to another larger group of bandits? They'd get suspicious about a missing messenger, and send someone out eventually. They'd find this place, and we'd be killed."

For a moment Lyn was speechless, not expecting such an assured and thought out response. "I…suppose you're right…"

Varric finished up his looting and had little to show for it besides a bag of gold and an unusual looking blue shard of rock.

"That shard, it's just like the other four you had in your pouch. Why would a common bandit have something so specific?"

"…Like I said, this isn't my first time dealing with Batta." Varric responded enigmatically. " _I wonder…"_ he quickly became lost in thought back in the hut, mainly in an attempt to keep his mind from overloading by focusing on something simple, but was finally snapped out of his thinking by a nervous Lyn.

"Varric? I'm sorry to bother you, but…You're probably wondering why I'm alone out here, aren't you?"

Varric went dead silent as things sank in. it wasn't just her that was real now, but her tragedy as well. Much to his surprise there were tears running down his face as he thought this.

The fact that Varric somehow already knew was the last straw, and Lyn broke down. She began crying, trying to choke out her story before Varric got up and handed her water, the same way she had done to him.

"Drink, collect yourself, THEN tell me the details…" He said quietly

* * *

A short while later, the two left the hut, with belongings in hand, they set off.

"Thank you again for letting me come with you…I honestly don't know if I could've taken it if you said no." Lyn said, with a small smile on her face.

"...you could ask me a million times, I'd always say yes." Varric said, his face reddening again, luckily hid by the sun's bright shine. Lyn smiled and took Varric's hand in a clasped handshake.

"Right then! You can be my master strategist!" She cheered.

Varric felt like he was about to pass out again from her touch, but the familiar line kept him sensible. "Only if you be my peerless warrior." Varric returned with all the confidence he could muster, before setting off, as worried as he was excited. " _I just hope I can protect all of you… looks like I'm playing Iron Man Mode this time."_


	2. Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate

**A/N: WOW I GOT A LOT OF FOLLOWERS FAST, over a dozen in less than 48 hours?! Okay, just this once, in celebration of my story immediately being noticed, I'll go ahead and break the aforementioned schedule to upload early. But from here on out it really is one chapter ever 10 days or so, and again i just want to emphasize that when i run out of pre-written stuff, uploads will likely become very irregular and very uncommon. College Student will no doubt be a very time consuming occupation.**

* * *

"Varric, are you alright? You look incredibly pale…" Lyn said as the two approached the city of Bulgar.

"Huh? What do you mean…?" Varric responded as he examined his hand. "I look like i always do…"

"No, I mean your face! I didn't notice until now, but it's so much paler than when we were back in the plains! Did you get sick overnight?!" She said worriedly.

Things clicked in Varric's head. " _How much was I blushing?!"_ "Oh! Uh...no, no I was getting over a fever the last couple of days, I typically have very pale skin. The fever probably made my blood rush."

"Oh, I see...Thank the gods, other than Vulneraries I'm not that good with medical treatment…"

Varric let out a sigh of relief as Lyn dropped the topic, before heading into the market.

* * *

"See? I told you it was necessary to loot him." Varric said as Lyn begrudgingly nodded.

"I suppose money IS a necessity...Is this your first time in Bulgar?" she asked, quickly changing topics as the two made their way through the marketplace.

"Well, I've heard about the place plenty of times but yeah, it's my first time here" as he spoke Varric stopped and held up 3 fingers. "And 3...2...1…"

"O beauteous one, wait!" a voice called.

" _And here they are…"_ Varric thought with a smile.

"Hm?" Lyn turned in confusion to the voice. Before her was a green armored knight with dark blonde, wheat colored hair. "Were you addressing me?"

"But of course!" the knight responded. "Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?" He continued, not noticing Varric mouthing along perfectly.

Lyn's demeanor became cold, although it was a shift only noticeable to Varric. "Where are you from, sir knight, to speak so freely with a stranger?" she said seemingly innocent.

"Ah! I thought you'd never ask! I, my good lady, am from Lycia! To be specific, the Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire!" The knight was slightly puzzled as from behind Lyn, Varric put a finger gun to his temple and fired.

"Shouldn't that be 'callow oafs with loose tongues'?" Lyn responded coldly.

The knight winced but kept his smile. "You're lovely even when cruel…"

Lyn huffed. "Let's go Varric, we're done with this man." with that she quickly walked off.

"My advice buddy? Take some pointers from your red friend. Maybe learn some self restraint." With that Varric followed after Lyn, leaving the Knight utterly baffled.

* * *

"Well, I think we're all prepared." Varric said as he slung a heavy bag over his shoulder. He'd soon found out since they started travelling that his body had changed as well, being more physically capable. Not a fighter of any sort but still able to cross a few miles without dying of exhaustion.

"I've been wondering, why did you buy so many vulneraries? There's only two of us…" Lyn wondered.

"Trust me Lyn, this group is gonna grow, I guarantee- OOF!" Varric was cut off as he walked right into a horse.

"Are you okay?" Lyn said worriedly, before looking at the two knights in front of them. "You! Your horses are blocking the road!" she said indignantly as she helped Varric.

Varric dusted himself off "Lyn, it's fine, I'm okay." He assured her

"Our apologies." The red knight said as he motioned his green companion to move out of the path. "We should've been more observant."

"Well, at least you seem honorable enough." Lyn admitted.

The red knight had a confused expression "Excuse me, but have we met before?" he asked, and immediately the green knight shot him a look.

"I beg your pardon?" Lyn responded. "No, i don't think-"

"HEY! Kent! You hypocrite, criticizing my socializing only to pull the same cards yourself?!" The green knight said with a smirk.

Immediately Lyn became indignant. "Tsk! It seems all you Lycian Knights are alike. Come Varric! Let's be rid of this place!" She quickly began to make her way out of the marketplace with Varric behind her.

"See you at the party fellas!" Varric said before following along. In the background he could hear Kent chewing out the green knight.

* * *

*—-

As the two were on the outskirts of the town, lyn and Varric both had their free hand on their weapon, aware of the presence around them.

"Heheh… aren't you a pretty one!" A ragged voice coming from an even more ragged man said as he stepped out from the shadows of a nearby wood. "You're Lyndis, aintcha?"

Lyn looked like an arrow had pierced her and for a moment her heart stopped. "How….how do you know that name?"

"The things i'll do for gold…" the bandit sighed as he ignored lyn. "Ah well, time to die!' He chuckled and, counterintuitively, hightailed it across a bridge as a bandit appeared in the nearby wood, another by the bridge, and another by a second bridge.

Lyn snapped out of her daze. "There's so many...but, I'll do what i can!" She cried, but as she awaited guidance, Varric waited in silence.

"Varric?"

"Just a moment, I'm...surveying." He replied calmly.

A few moments later came the voice Varric was waiting for.

"HALT FIENDS! LEAVE THAT GRACEFUL MAIDEN ALONE!" a familiar voice cried as two cavaliers rapidly approached. The familiar red and green knights descended from atop the horses.

"Bandits? It seems we've arrived in the nick of time!" The green one said.

"We don't need any…" Lyn began, but before she got very far Varric approached the knights.

"We'll gladly accept any help you offer."

"Varric, we have no idea who they are!" Lyn exclaimed.

The red knight bowed. "Allow me to remedy that. I am Kent, and this is my companion, Sain. If you still do not trust us to act on our own, then we shall let you guide our hands."

"See Lyn? I'll still be giving instruction, don't worry." Varric tried to reassure her with a smile, at last she sighed in defeat.

"Very well. ...We appreciate your assistance." She finally admitted.

"Alright then!" Varric said with a clap. "Now that that's settled... Kent, could you take out that bandit trying to sneak up on us from those woods over there?" at that, said bandit quickly retreated back into the deeper foliage, frustrated he'd been spotted so quickly.

"Of course-" Before Kent could finish, however, Sain mounted his horse and rode after.

"Nonsense! I must make up for my misconduct, watch and be amazed!" he cried as he rode forward, much to Varric's dismay.

" _Looks like some things just can't be changed. I better have a vulnerary ready…"_ Varric thought as Sain engaged his enemy.

"Is...Is he going to engage that bandit with a LANCE?!" Lyn exclaimed in worry.

Kent simply facepalmed. "His own bravado will be the death of him…" no one noticed but Varric was just as exasperated as Kent.

* * *

" _Mistakes have been made!"_ Sain thought as he scrambled out of the way of another axe swing.

"How is a KNIGHT such a damn idiot?" the bandit laughed as he stood over one part of a lance staff, it having been cut in half by a heavy axe swing.

"Uh...I was simply handicapping myself! It's fitting for such scum as you!" Sain countered as he slowly inched his way to one part of the broken lance.

"I'd best go assist him." Kent sighed, before, to everyone's surprise, there was a GURK as a bandit's last breath escaped him, having been sliced across the throat by the broken lance's blade. Sain quickly returned with his weapon fragments in hand.

"...Well you did ask me to take care of him. And he has been taken care of." Sain said nervously as Kent glared daggers at him, and Lyn scoffed. Varric however, was completely shocked.

" _That was different from the game in every way possible...Sain still went after the bandit even when i asked kent to take his place, but Sain not only didnt get a scratch, but he killed the bandit with a broken weapon!"_ Varric's face contorted as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Varric?" Lyn touched his shoulder and he jumped as he was knocked out of his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, just….focusing too much on details. Kent, give Sain your spare sword, we'll get Sain another lance after we sort all of this out…" Varric said without thinking.

"And how exactly did you know i carry a spare sword? It's not on my person." Kent replied with suspicion in his voice.

"You seem the dutiful type, I figured you'd have a spare weapon." Varric quickly covered.

Kent's brow furrowed, before deciding to admit defeat and turned to Sain. "Why did you even try using a lance against an axe wielding foe? If you don't have a sword you should have asked me for one!"

"But Kent, a lance is the iconic weapon of cavalry knights! It's so much more…" his voice trailed off due to the disapproving gazes of all three members of his audience. "...Might I borrow a sword of yours?" he finally said.

Kent sighed and handed him one. "As i've said many times before, your bravado will be the death of you."

"Alright guys, let's mop em up." Varric said with a couple of snaps. "These are common thugs, all axes no experience. Just stick to the shelter of the trees and DON'T USE LANCES, and they won't even be able to land a scratch."

"You sound awful sure of yourself, what makes you the combat expert?" Sain remarked.

"The fact that I'm a professional war tactician, how about that?" Varric countered. "Now c'mon! Don't give them any more prep time than we already have!"

ONE SPOTLESS BEATDOWN LATER….

"Accursed knights….there was just supposed to be one girl…." the leader gurgled as he bled out. Lyn wiped the blood from her blade on the grass.

"Alright, thank you two for your help."

"Where did your friend go?" Kent said, realizing that Varric had already split apart from the group.

"If this is like last battle, probably checking the bodies."

"You mean he's a looter? Hah! Bet you never thought you'd be taking orders from a corpse robber, eh Kent?" Sain said nonchalantly to his aghast partner.

"Has he no shame?!" He finally exclaimed.

"I'll have you guys know that this is gonna save us a lot of trouble." Varric said as he approached with an axe in hand and a small bag of gold. "This axe is in pretty good condition, ESPECIALLY considering a bandit had it. If we're lucky we can barter with it and this coin for a new lance, since there are no decent blacksmiths nearby. If you want to get angry at someone, get angry at Sain. I wouldn't need the resources if he didn't break his lance."

Sain wisely made himself scarce, or as scarce as he could with only 4 people in the clear area.

"...Regardless, please, allow us to share our story with you." Kent said, addressing Lyn and seemingly ignoring Varric.

"C'mon guys, somewhere not out in plain view for every bandit." Varric reminded.

* * *

"We have ventured here from Caelin, in Lycia, searching for someone."

"From beyond the southern mountains?" Lyn replied.

"Yes, we've been on the trail for some time now. We specifically were tracking Lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad 19 years ago." Kent continued.

"Madelyn…?" Lyn repeated.

"Yes, our lord marquise's only daughter. Heartbroken by her leaving, however, he eventually declared he had no child."

"But this year we received letter from Lady Madelyn!" Sain jumped in. "She mentioned that herself, husband, and daughter were all living peacefully on the sacae plains! The marquis was absolutely ecstatic, the smile on his face is still clear in my mind, his reaction to knowing he was grandfather to his daughter's child, Lyndis."

"Lyndis was the very name of the Marquise's early late wife." Kent explained. "Knowing Lady Madelyn hadn't forgotten her thawed the Marquis's heart."

"Now his only wish is to see the face of his granddaughter at least once." Sain kept on. "What we did not know, however, was that Lady Madelyn had passed shortly after sending the letter...We learned about it shortly after arriving here."

"But we also learned her daughter yet lives….I..I knew immediately you were Lyndis, M'lady." Kent confessed.

"You knew?" Lyn repeated puzzled.

"Your face, it is the striking image of your mother." Kent finished. Lyn went silent.

Varric hesitantly placed a hand on Lyn's shoulder. "...Lyn, it's okay. You can tell them. No more tears, remember?"

Lyn nodded and spoke. "To the rest of the tribe, i was Lyn. But with my mother and father, i was Lyndis. ...It's all so strange, i was all alone in the world. Now i have a grandfather. And Varric…" at that Varric turned bright red, seemingly to no one's notice. When no one continued, he cleared his head and spoke.

"Lyn...that bandit called you Lyndis." He said quietly, and the knights' eyes filled with ire.

"LUNDGREN!" Sain yelled infuriated.

"It seems your granduncle is already aware of your survival." Kent said bitterly.

"My Grandfather had a brother? But why would he…" Lyn wondered.

"By right of heritage, you take priority in inheritance to him. He wants your grandfather's position, and that means going through you as well." Varric explained.

"But i have no interest in titles!" Lyn exclaimed, only to cast her eyes down as Varric shook his head.

"Lundgren is a power hungry man, he doesn't care if you have no intent to oppose him, you're a risk he wants eliminated." Sain practically spat.

"Then...the attempts on my life will continue. What am i to do?" Lyn asked, turning to all three.

"Well i think that's fairly obvious." Varric said before either knight could speak up. "We let these fine gentlemen take you to Caelin, and protect you there. Then Lundgren can be exposed for the traitor he is with your accounts of attempts on your life."

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Sain agreed.

"Then it's settled, we shall make final preparations in town and leave for Caelin!" Kent confirmed.

* * *

"V-Varric?! What are you doing?" Lyn exclaimed as she saw her tactician prepare along with the knights.

"Huh? Isn't it obvious? Getting ready for the journey." Varric said confused.

"But….you do realize it's a different situation now! Things will be far more dangerous-"

"Don't tell me you already forgot the pact we made!" Varric interrupted. "I'm the master strategist, and you're the peerless warrior! You can't just get rid of me like that! ...Lyn, I'm here until you no longer need me." He added with a cheerful smirk.

Lyn wasn't sure what to say at first but soon broke into a smile. "I….yes! Thank you Varric!" she exclaimed. "I'll feel much better knowing i have your friendship and aid!" she cheered as the two set off to meet the knights and leave.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, thanks to all of you who gave this a read, even moreso to those who followed and Favorited the story. Any and all constructive criticism is appreciated! Or if you particularly like a direction I'm going with something (such as my interpretation of a character, a difference between the game continuity and my own, etc.) feel free to mention that you like it so i know I'm on the right track! Lastly, something I should say before i forget: If you ever want to PM me and discuss something about the story in depth, feel free to do so! I'll also respond to any reviews that provoke one!**


	3. Chapter 2: A Tactician's Purpose

**A/N: review responses!**

 **JP I'm Italian: first off, I really like your art! Second off, if by "other story" you mean Rekka No Ken Retold, I'll tell you right now my story won't hold a candle to that. While it inspired me, I'm in no way trying to outdo it. I'm just trying to write a story that people can enjoy** _ **alongside**_ **Rekka No Ken Retold. Now to address the rest of your review: I'm going to adhere to the in game dialogue to a certain extent, but i'm not gonna restrict myself to it, in fact as the story goes on there will be scripted moments where i'll ditch the in game dialogue almost entirely and just rewrite it more freely. And as I've just implied, there will be PLENTY of dialogue that is in no way from the actual game. To give a short version of why they still sometimes speak like it's the actual game, think of it as them being formal when addressing important topic or people. It's not the best explanation but it's the only short one I got. As for Varric's role in combat….well, you'll just have to wait and see!  
Anonymous: While that's a good comparison to Genealogy, I really don't think the focus on game mechanics is a good mindset to read this story. I won't be basing things on the concept of game mechanics. You know how with Pokemon, in the show anything goes, with only tangential relevance to the battle system of the games? It's like that.**

 **Some twat: I have haters already?! AWESOME! I feel like i actually accomplished something if people are bitter enough to to complain!...no seriously, it legit makes me happy to have my first hater. I'm weird like that.**

* * *

"You've been singing a rather macabre song to yourself...what exactly is that tune?" Kent asked varric.

"You can read lips?" Varric responded.

"Yeah, he's pretty dang good at doing so. Can really be an issue…" Sain responded. "But...yeah I've never heard a tune quite like that."

"Well...it's a type of music I guarantee you've never heard before." Varric began, choosing his next words carefully. "It uses magic to capture sound from the air itself, store it away, and change it as needed. It results in all sorts of songs."

"But what exactly are these songs about?" Lyn finally joined in.

"Uh….well….I guess they're like a bard's tales. They tell stories of all sorts, the lyrics deeply intertwined with the subject matter. The one I've had in my head for a while is "Welcome to the Family". It's about a man trapped in a house of monsters. You weren't off base, Kent, when you called it macabre. The story is definitely one to scare you…" Varric cut himself off to avoid boring his audience, but to his surprise found them awaiting what he had to say next. "...fine, I'll sing you guys both songs about the story later, when we make camp next. I'm not a good singer though."

* * *

"Thank you again Varric for being understanding, I know you probably would rather us head directly to Caelin."

"Nah, I get it Lyn, praying at the Mani Katti shrine means alot to you, right? That's all that matters then." Varric responded. _"Besides, this is literally your destiny…"_

"You know of the blade?" Lyn said in surprise.

"Yeah, I've done a lot of research on Elibe's history and various faiths. Regardless of which I may follow, I know of them all."

"So you aren't a follower of St. Elimine's teachings either." Kent concluded.

"That's not a problem, is it?" Varric said over his shoulder.

Kent shook his head. "While St. Elimine's teaching is the typical faith, I find it nice to know ancient customs are still observed."

* * *

A woman's figure ran towards the group. "Miss!" She cried at the sight of Lyn. "Miss! Are you headed east, to the altar?!"

"Yes, we are-" Lyn began.

The woman began to plead. "Please! You must help the priest there! A band of ruffians went to the altar and took control of it! They seem intent on stealing the sacred sword…"

"What?!" Lyn exclaimed in rising anger. "I won't allow it!"

Unsurprised, Varric calmly but quickly gave orders. "Kent, go check any nearby homes, see if you can gather information. Lyn, take Sain's horse and do the same to speed up the process."

Sain immediately protested. "I'm the horseback knight, shouldn't I be going with Kent?!"

"Lyn is a Sacaen nomad. I'm sure she knows how to ride a horse just as well as you. Also I don't trust you to not get sidetracked and start flirting with someone instead of gathering info." Varric responded bluntly.

"I must admit, I have my suspicions of you…" Kent started as he mounted his horse.

" _Which you aren't very good at hiding…"_ Varric kept to himself.

"...but you prove yourself more level headed by the minute." Kent finished with a disgruntled interjection from Sain before riding off alongside Lyn.

"Uh...that was a compliment, right?" Varric asked in slight confusion.

* * *

"Broken wall on the west side and mountains to the south, got it." Varric summarized. "I think it's safe to say most of the bandits are past the mountains, so we'll let them come to us; Lyn is the only one who can cross mountains quickly and I don't want her outnumbered like that." Varric turned to Lyn. "I know this place is sacred, but we need to break down that worn wall, for the sake of retaking the altar and keeping you all safe. Okay?"

Lyn reluctantly nodded. "I understand. Those bandits will pay further for forcing our hand…"

"Kent, Sain, you hold off the bandits while me and Lyn force the wall open."

The two knights nodded and headed south in unison….after breaking away from a discussion with Lyn.

" _What were they talking about?...nothing to concern myself with for now I guess." "_ Shall we?" Varric gestured and began chipping away at the decayed wall.

* * *

"That takes care of all the bandits, all that's left is that leader looking guy! Doesn't even realize his men are gone!" Sain said triumphantly as they peered through the now wide gap in the wall to see a bandit swordsman trying in vain to unsheathe a sword.

"Alright, this guy wields a sword. Kent, Sain, tag team him with your lances and make quick work of the guy." Varric ordered. But as the two knights stepped in front of him, they stopped moving, and Lyn began to walk in.

"I'll handle this." she said as she nodded to the knights.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Varric cried out, trying to keep his voice hushed.

"This is a matter of pride for Lady Lyndis, Varric." Kent replied, not budging and keeping Varric from getting past.

Varric began to tense up " _What are they doing? I'm the tactician! They're supposed to follow my instruction!"_

"Bandit Leader!" Lyn called out as she stepped out of the shadows, to his surprise.

"Oy! Who are you?!"

"I am Lyn of the Lorca tribe, I challenge you to a duel for the sacred sword." Lyn readied her blade at her side as she spoke.

"Girl, do you know who I am?! I AM GLASS! The gods tremble at the mention of my name! You think you can beat me? Hah!"

Suddenly, with a surprising amount of force, Varric tried to burst past the knights, but was quickly caught. It did, however, catch the two speakers' attention. "LYN! You can't do this! You three need to fight him together at least!"

For a moment Lyn looked surprised, then hurt, then quickly covered it up. "...This is a matter of pride, Varric."

"What good is pride if it gets you KILLED?!" Varric shouted as the two knights restrained him. "Let go of me!"

Again Lyn looked hurt for a moment, before speaking with unprecedented coldness. "...I suppose i shouldn't have expected you to understand these things." She turned her back to Varric as she walked closer to glass, and Varric lost all will to keep struggling.

"I….I didn't mean…" He trailed off.

"Lyn is the last of her people, Varric. She is their legacy. Her pride is the pride of her tribe." Kent said calmly with cruel truth to his words.

"I ask again: duel me for the sword."

Glass smirked and tosses the sheathed blade aside, as he pulled out his own large blade. "Alright then, if you insist….heheh…" He snickered and stood opposite Lyn, before charging without warning. "Hyah!" There was a clang of metal against metal as he blades locked, and lyn was quickly pushed back, forcing her to give ground as she retreated.

"His sword is much larger...Lyn can't win in strength, speed is her only option…" Varric muttered aloud as Glass pushed Lyn around the open ground of the shrine.

"Hah! Is this all the Lorca have? Little girl weaklings like you? Pathetic! And here I thought you nomads were supposed to be skilled! This shrine's sword doesn't deserve to even be worshipped by such poor swordsmen!" Another clash, but this time Lyn was sliced across her side.

"LYN!" Varric instinctively cried out, but the knights continued to watch. "How can you just sit there and watch her get hurt?!" Varric said in anger to the two.

"Because she requested we not interfere, no matter what. That's why." Sain said bluntly.

"Agh...you are a bandit. Nothing more...I will defeat you!" Lyn said defiantly.

"Never! Now DIE!" Glass cried as he struck downward towards the weakened Lyn…..falling right into her trap. As he swung, she held up her blade and half-heartedly blocked, dodging to the side and knocking Glass askew ever so slightly, resulting in him nearly falling forward. Lyn saw her chance and in a flash she had cut his legs, which gave way beneath him. Lyn began to sheathe her sword.

"It is over...you cannot move right, much less fight properly." Lyn said calmly.

"You dare look down on me?!" Glass roared as he struggled to his feet.

Lyn readied her blade once more. "Do not throw your life away like so many other bandits."

"Shut up!" Glass yelled as he took a step forward but immediately found himself stopped dead in his tracks, a blade through his chest. He dropped his sword and went limp as lyn removed her blade. The knights released Varric, but he did not move from his spot, merely standing against the wall.

"Well done Lady Lyndis!" Sain congratulated as he ran over. Lyn, however, was not smiling, rather she looked somber.

"...thank you, Sain."

* * *

"Are you sure I can hold it?" Lyn asked the priest of the shrine once more, who chuckled. "Of course, my dear. The sword is in safety once more because of you, you are more than welcome to pray to it here.

As lyn took hold of the sword, it began to glow. Varric knew what was happening but was still amazed by the sight. His face couldn't hide it.

"What's going on?!" Lyn exclaimed.

"It seems….that the spirits have judged you. Try unsheathing it young one." The priest instructed, and Lyn drew the blade with ease.

"It...came out effortlessly…" She said aloud in awe.

"Then it is proven. Lyn of the Lorca, you are the destined rightful owner of the Mani Katti, the legendary blade of Sacae!" The priest cheered,

"I...I couldn't possibly-" Lyn began, but was quieted by the priest.

"My girl, the fact that the sword has responded to you is proof of this. Please, take it with you, i implore you to do so."

After a long moment of silence, Lyn's face brightened. "Yes! I will then!"

Kent and especially Sain looked at the sword and congratulated Lyn, but Varric found himself unable to join them.

* * *

"...Alright, it's time to make camp." Varric said. He had barely spoken a word since the shrine incident, and was walking distant from the group. Lyn's words still echoed in his mind " _'I suppose i shouldn't have expected you to understand…' I...I don't understand...not just that pride, but...they don't always listen to me? Then who am I in this world?"_ Without speaking, Varric ate and went to sleep. His expression was enough to tell the other 3 that tonight would not be the night they'd get to hear the rest of his song.

 **A/N: Before you all call me out on it, yes it's pretty blatant what the music motiff with Varric is, and that you can't have modern music played using with middle earth medieval instruments, this isn't A Kid in King Arthur's Court (awful movie). JUST GIVE ME A FEW CHAPTERS. I didn't put this much emphasis on Varric's interest in music without some half decent payoff. Things will get a bit ridiculous but I'm writing this story to have fun, not to be the best, and so sometimes that means throwing rationale out the window. I have zero shame in admitting there will be blatant wish fulfillment in this story. HOWEVER, I will never do such a thing at the expense of the quality of my writing. In other words don't let the indulgences fool you, i have every intent to write a good story that can be enjoyed by others just as much as myself.**


	4. Chapter 3: One of Us

**A/N: Okay so I changed the rating from T to M because as this chapter will show: I take the more realistic approach of people swearing when in incredible pain. I also am a swear-y person in general and didnt know that language alone can get you bumped up from a T to an M rating on this site. Another thing is later down the line, there will be blood. Quite literally. ….but mainly I just don't think I can get away with a T rating if I'm gonna have characters say "Fuck". also yeah it hasn't been ten days but it HAS been a week since the last update! It's just so hard to wait when i now that people actually are interested to know what happens next! I've been checking my email every hour to see if i get a new follow or favorite or review, I've got an issue...**

 **Review responses!**

 **JP I'm Italian: Funny you bring up those reasons. Probably tied for the hardest thing to write so far has been the reasoning for Varric being in love with Lyn. It's not something as stupid and shallow as "Waifu" stuff, it's legitimate love which obviously isn't easy to naturally insert into exposition, but what sparked it in Varric WILL eventually be revealed.**

 **Deeludeed: To be honest, I hate how I wrote that part. It's obviously forced and more than just a "smidge" edgy, no need to soften the blow. The sad thing is that no matter how much I tried rewriting it, though, best case scenario the newer version was just as forced as opposed to even worse. Also originally this response went on a bit of a tangent, but now doesn't because I eliminated the need for it by adding some extra depth to one of the conversations. What's more the change SHOULD make the last chapter seem less forced with the benefit of hindsight. So thanks!**

* * *

After heading further southwest, the quartet ended up in small town. Varric and Lyn had barely spoken a word to each other, and the knights were very much aware.

"How long is this going to go on?" Sain whispered to kent.

"It seems our tactician doesn't deal well with insubordination… perhaps we've wounded his own pride in protecting Lady Lyndis's." Kent replied.

"Well...yeah, we did kinda go behind his back." Sain admitted.

Lyn and Varric had both stopped up ahead, gaping at the sight before them.

"This place….It's in absolute ruins…" Varric said as he observed the decaying masonry and worn houses. " _How can people live like this?"_ he thought to himself as he approached the town.

"This area isn't too far from the Taliver Bandits." Lyn said, although seemingly just to Kent and Sain. There was an extreme venom to her words. "Those monsters...they kill women and children without hesitation. They ruin lives without a care in the world…"

"The Taliver did it, didn't they?" Varric said suddenly, finally speaking to Lyn. "They attacked the Lorca."

Lyn froze, then nodded. "...it took one night. They came in their entirety in the dead of night. We had no way to prepare for such numbers during an ambush like that…"

Varric almost said something, but Lyn continued.

"Someday...I'll be stronger. And when I am, I will return. And when I do, I will _break them like twigs._ " She said in tranquil fury, the ruthlessness in her voice almost impossible to comprehend coming from someone with her typical demeanor.

Varric was wide eyed. He'd read those words before, but to actually hear the ferocity with which they were said made fear crawl through him. "...Let's go." He said quietly before continuing without waiting for the others.

* * *

"Wait right there little lady! Just what are ya gonna do to apologize, huh?!"an angry, gruff yet whiny voice yelled.

Varric and the group began to move towards the commotion, Varric already knowing what to expect. A short while after the last voice another voice yelled, this one a girl's.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" a voice yelled followed by a type of horse cry Varric had never heard before.

"That voice...and a pegasus! It has to be!" Lyn cried as she rushed to the scene, her knights calling her to wait. Varric hung in the back observing.

" _I better wait until the time is right to approach Florina, I don't want to frighten her…"_ Varric thought.

"Florina?!" Lyn called, and was rushed by a small, lavender haired girl in light knight armor.

"Lyn!" The girl replied in joy, despite there being two sly bandits glaring. She rushed over to the green haired swordswoman.

"What are you doing in a place such as this?" Lyn questioned.

Florina looked on the verge of tears. "Is it really you Lyn? I...I…"

"Come, now, no crying." Lyn reassured.

"You are acquaintances I take it?" Kent interjected.

"Yes, this is Florina, a pegasus knight in training from Ilia. She's...a little uncomfortable around men." Lyn explained. "Tell me Florina, what happened here?"

"Well...um...when I had heard you'd left…" Florina began. "I decided to follow you. I saw this village and flew down to ask if anyone had seen you...and I didn't see these two and…" she trailed off.

Lyn sighed. "Did your pegasus land on them?" She said, clearly used to such things.

"I...A little." Florina admitted meekly.

"AHA! YOU HEARD HER!" one of the bandits yelled, causing Florina to jump and hide behind Lyn. "She admitted it's her fault, she stepped on my friend and has to pay!"

"Florina, did you apologize?" Lyn asked.

"Yes! I told them many times...but they won't listen…" She began to cry.

"Don't cry, it's alright…" Lyn said calmly. She turned to the bandits. "She apologized, can we not just let this incident pass?" She said in vain hope they would actually listen to reason.

"Not a chance!" The leader jumped in. "She's comin with us - By FORCE if need be!"

"GO TO HELL!" Varric finally yelled, causing everyone to turn to him. He was glaring daggers at the bandits. "Really Lyn? You think these BANDITS are gonna listen to reason? They wouldn't know a good opportunity to run if it bit them on the ass. We all know exactly what kind of people they are, and what they'd do to florina and a rare animal like a pegasus. SO SCRAM ASSHOLES!" Varric said all of it without moving an inch from his spot, but his voice showed he was infuriated.

"Your big mouth is gonna get you killed you pipsqueak!" The leader laughed as he ran. "COME ON OUT BOYS! The men are fair game, but I won't have a scratch on the girls!"

At that a group of bandits made themselves known, with archers and swordsmen mixed in with the axe brutes.

"Lyn, w-who's th-that…?" Florina squeaked looking at Varric. At first no one answered, still shocked by Varric's sudden outburst.

Varric realized he was still glaring, and made a conscious effort to soften his expression. "Sorry about that…" He said as he approached Florina, careful not to get too close. "My name is...Call me Varric. I'm a tactician. I'm here to help."

Lyn remained silent for a moment, but when it became clear Florina was unsure, she spoke "...you can trust him, Florina. I promise."

Florina was clearly aware of the tension between the two but finally conceded. "If…if Lyn trusts you, then I will too. I hope I can help…"

"Don't worry about it, for now you stay put. There are archers out there still." At the mention of archers Florina paled, and she nodded as Varric approached a nearby house. From inside there were cries telling him to go away, but he ignored them. "Yo! I need an archer! We ain't bandits so stop freaking out." he said almost bored. A young man with brown hair and blue clothing stepped out of the house.

"Not bandits huh? Then what do you need me for? And how'd you know-" The man began before Varric cut him off.

"You hate bandits, we fight bandits, you fight with us, bandits more likely to get their ass kicked. Okay?"

The young man blinked, then laughed. "...Fair enough! I'm Wil, uh, with one L by the way. Pleased to meet you and happy to help! These villagers have been very kind to me, I need to return the favor."

Varric smiled and shook his hand. "Name's Varric." he called over his shoulders. "Hey guys! Meet our newest comrade!"

One very brief introduction later...

"Alright, Florina flew up to get a look and from what she saw I've made a plan. Wil, follow my instruction in taking out the bandits from behind these walls. Kent and Sain, you take the front and navigate your way through the bandits that'll be forced to get funneled through by the narrow passages. Lyn, stay in back and reserve your strength for the leader, he's looking to be the first credible threat we've come across, not like the previous bandits. I'm guessing he's from Ganelon. Lastly, Florina there's two sword bandits over that there wall. Think you can handle em both with some hit and run tactics with your lance? No archer will reach you with Wil getting rid of them over here."

Florina nodded. "I'm sure! There's people over there too who need help…."

"I'll leave it in your hands. Remember: no archers, so take to the skies whenever you need to, and you'll make quick work of those two. After you've secured the civilians, shelter with them and wait it out until we regroup. Everyone ready? BREAK!"

* * *

"Tell me something…" Lyn said as she prepared to draw her blade, the sound of fighting in the background as she and the bandit leader were left one on one. "Are you Taliver?"

"Taliver?" The bandit spat. "No way! We're Ganelon bandits, we know a little something about Honor. Those Taliver monsters kill women and children! We never do that...after all, why kill what you can sell?"

Lyn ignored the last remark. "If you aren't Taliver, you don't need to die this day. Give up and run."

The bandit quickly started fuming. "You-! I'll teach you to watch your tongue!" he charged, and Varric watched from behind with Wil, ready to jump in if things got out of hand.

Lyn sighed and drew the Mani Katti from its sheath. "Very well then...this is your end."

Enraptured, Varric gazed in awe as Lyn seamlessly dodged every strike. "That sword does a lot more than just hit harder….its increased all her capabilities…" He said in wonder.

"So that's the sacred sword of Sacae…" Wil whistled.

"Stay...still!" The bandit huffed as he took a massive swing, only for lyn to vanish.

"It's over." She said before reappearing on the other side, sword in a striking position. A large gash appeared across the bandit's chest and he fell to the ground.

"My brothers…..will….avenge me…" He choked out before the light faded from his eyes.

* * *

Just as the rest of the group was finishing off their foes, Varric went over to the housing. " _Better check on Florina, see if they gave her any money like they do in game. We could really use a new sword for Kent and ACTUAL iron lance for Sain."_ His thoughts were interrupted, along with the conclusion of everyone else's battles, by a shriek. "FLORINA!" Varric cried as, to his horror, he saw her and her pegasus about to be hauled off by three bandits, one of them the co-leader from earlier. " _NO! NO! THIS ISN'T WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN!"_ Varric screamed in his mind as he tried to make sense. Wil shot an arrow taking out one bandit, and one more arrow to critically injure another, before realizing that was his last arrow.

"Shit!" Wil cried out "We gotta- hey!" he cried out as to both his and Varric's surprise, Varric rushed towards the co-leader with his knife in hand.

" _What am i doing?!"_ "STOP!" Varric cried out and the bandit turned to his surprise attacker and received a large knife deep in his shoulder.

"AGH! You...FUCK OFF!" he screamed in pain as he shook Varric off, and knocked him in the head, leaving him dazed and staggering away. The bandit reached for his handaxe.

Varric nearly threw up from the impact, and tried to get his bearing. He did so only to be greeted with a flash of agonizing pain as something flew at him and cut deep into his shoulder. His vision and hearing became dulled, as he saw Sain rush the distracted bandit and take him down. He heard a female voice scream his name as he fell to the ground thinking one thing before passing out from pain: " _I'm such an idiot…"_

* * *

"..."

"..."

"... _I'm...not dead?"_ Varric thought as he opened his eyes. He tried to move but immediately found that a very poor choice. His entire upper left body became consumed with pain and he let out a yell. Almost immediately the door burst open to the room he was in. Lyn was there with a panicked expression, but it soon became tearful as she saw Varric with his eyes open.

"Lyn, what's-" Varric started but was interrupted as he was embraced by a crying Lyn. had it not been excruciatingly painful, it would've been the best thing to ever happen to him.

"Thank gods...you're awake…" she managed between tears. Varric could hear footsteps.

"Hey, the idiot is finally awake!" Sain said in cheerful sarcasm. "Gave us a scare there! Last I checked the tactician isn't supposed to jump into the fray."

Lyn simply held onto Varric, as if at any moment he was going to disappear forever. "Guess I'll go tell the others." Sain said, as he had a sly grin and closed the door behind him, leaving the two alone. Varric immediately felt himself burning up.

"L-Lyn...what uh...what...happened?" He managed to get out as Lyn finally calmed down. She sat next to the bed and wiped her eyes.

"You...idiot...what were you thinking?! Jumping at a bandit like that?! You got a handaxe embedded in your shoulder, it was a wound far worse than what a vulnerary can heal! if not for a passing bishop you'd be dead right now!"

"A passing Bishop…?" " _That certainly isn't in the game…"_ Wait...Wait! Is Florina safe?!" Varric exclaimed, again recoiling in pain.

"Yes...But you shouldn't have done that! One of us could have gotten to her and taken care of it!" Lyn continued.

"I….I just...I saw Florina in trouble, someone who was supposed to be protected by my guidance in trouble….I couldn't risk him getting away."

" _Protected by his guidance?"_ Something clicked in Lyn's mind and she went dead quiet before speaking again. "Varric."

"Huh?'

"Why were you so adamantly against me dueling Glass?" She asked plainly.

Varric was quiet. "...I'm the tactician. It's my job to give you guys combat orders….if any of you were to die, it'd be on my head. But more importantly, I never want to see anyone under my guidance get hurt...ever." Varric said in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry if I hurt your pride….you were right, I don't understand...But i could never just sit by and watch you get hurt, not if there was any way in the world to prevent it. Not for Sain, not for Kent, Wil, Florina, or you." " _Especially not you…"_ He added in his mind. "...but I got so caught up in my own planning, I never even considered taking the time to explain my motives or asking if you approve of my ideas in the first place. I was self centered, I was ignorant."

Lyn felt her heart ache. "Varric...I'm so sorry...I was so focused on protecting my tribe's pride, I disregarded the possibility of you acting in ALL our best interests… yes, you did make assumptions we wouldn't take issue, but I assumed you wouldn't understand my own motivations." She stood next to his bedside. "I promise. From now on I won't do anything without you considering it first."

"And I promise to try and see things from your perspective as well as my own." Varric reciprocated. There was a long silence, during which Varric rapidly flushed again. "...I-" Varric was about to start again when the door opened and Sain returned with others in tow.

"I'M SO SORRY!" Florina immediately exclaimed, on the verge of tears.

"It's okay Florina, it's my fault...I shouldn't have let you go alone, and I should've been more careful." " _It seems her worry has overridden her fear…"_ Varric, said, still surprised by the group.

Kent stepped forward and bowed. "Varric, I want to apologize. Before I said I had suspicions about you. You proved that day though, that I have no reason to believe you don't hold out best interest at heart."

"It's fine Kent, I know you only get suspicious cause ya care about others- waitwaitwaitwait…..THAT day? Uh….guys? How long was I out?"

"Three days." Wil said calmly.

Varric held his good side's hand to his head. "Oh dear god...s….guys we need to go, NOW. We need to make up for lost time ASAP." With that Varric grit his teeth and began moving to get his patched up cloak.

Lyn immediately came to his side to aid him. "Varric, you shouldn't be moving! The bishop said to wait at least a week before-"

Varric turned to look at Lyn and she stopped short at the determination in his eyes. "Lyn, we need to get to Caelin as fast as possible. Your grandfather is still alive. If you granduncle is trying to take you out, then I have no doubt Lundgren is already figuring out a way to get rid of your grandfather as well."

At once Lyn nodded and helped Varric up. "Alright then...as you say, leader."

Varric approached Florina "Florina, will you join us?"

Florina instinctively stepped back, her fear returning. "Huh?"

"For your pegasus knight training, you have to join a band of warriors, right?" Varric started and Florina nodded. "Well, I can't say it won't be dangerous, but I'm guessing you'd be much more comfortable with us than just some random group that will more than likely have men in it."

Florina looked to Lyn, then back to Varric. "I'll gladly join!" She said timidly but happily.

Sain cheered "YAHOO! Yes beautiful Florina! With you and Wil at our aid, we will make a fine group of warriors!" He boasted.

"Wait, did you just include me?!" Wil exclaimed dumbfounded.

"You don't mind do ya?" Varric said on the side. "After all you don't look like ya got much to do."

"Well….yeah, all my money was stolen, I'm at a crossroads. Ah what the heck, I'll join the Lyndis Legion!" Wil shrugged.

"Lyndis Legion?" Lyn repeated as Kent facepalmed. "Uh….Varric, are you okay with that name-?"

"I LOVE IT!" Varric exclaimed happily. " _I can't believe this...I'm ACTUALLY a part of that group! Just need to not get myself or anyone else killed… This entire escapade was proof it'll be much harder than I thought…"_

 **A/N: For those wondering just how much is already written (but still subject to change based on any feedback I get) I've been stuck on the Lundgren fight with complete writer's block for months now. I just for the life of me cannot figure out how to word things and make things sound climactic enough, I've even skipped past it and write some of Eliwood/Hector's story.**


	5. Chap 4: Divine Dimensional Intervention

**A/N: OKAY GUYS THINGS ARE GONNA GET REALLY CRAZY REALLY FAST SO TRY NOT TO GET OVERWHELMED I'M HONESTLY REALLY PARANOID THAT'LL HAPPEN... Actually though it was really fun to write some completely original stuff and set a new tone.**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Anonymous: …and now I know how I'm gonna write the lundgren fight, the visual provided by the CG was enough to kickstart a brainstorm session that had fantastic results. THANK YOU.**

 **Deeludeed: you ask, and I below I provide answers.**

* * *

Varric began hyperventilating. " _This isn't happening...this can't be right…they were supposed to give up eventually, Letting them come to us is supposed to work!"_

The castle was nearly breached, with the legion gradually being forced back at a rapidly increasing pace as the bandit leader made efficient use of his men.

"This...cant...be…" Varric gasped out. "It's a dream...it's gotta be…" He spoke in a crazed state, raising his knife above his still poor hand, pressed to the ground. He needed pain; he needed to know he was awake.

And then, there was a bloodcurdling shriek and Varric knew who had fallen. Something in his head snapped, he cried out, and brought down the knife, plunging it straight through the middle of his hand and pinning it. Immediately there was a blue flash and 3 crystals in the hilt shattered. There was the sound a ticking clock, and all went dark.

* * *

"...What is this…? Is this...game over?" Varric spoke, his voice echoing in the void, mind still hazed from the horror that had vanished both from sight and mind all too quickly.. He could see himself, and feel himself floating in the void, but couldn't see anything else but darkness, nor could he feel any surface below him.

"You have failed, young one… but nothing is lost." a motherly voice echoed.

"Who's there?! What's going on?!" " _Gee, way to be creative in your questions."_ Varric immediately thought after speaking.

"This place exists in nothing, and everything." The voice responded.

"...Am i seriously supposed to understand what you mean by that?" Varric couldn't help but think aloud, still in denial of what happened.

The voice chuckled. "No, I suppose not. I…am Naga." as the name echoed, Varric's eyes went wide.

"You're….N-Naga?" " _But...that isn't how it works! Naga is from the Awakening and Marth timeline, Elibe is a different universe-"_ Varric's thoughts were interrupted.

"That universe…this universe...who's to say there are really multiple universes? You've glimpsed into our world just as some here have glimpsed into yours. How do you know, though, that what you've glimpsed is the truth? That the boundaries set by your world apply to the 'real deal' as you might say?" Naga said with wit in her voice.

"You mean…they're all the same? Just… different time and place for each?"

The voice responded in a motherly tone. "Yes, child. You are quick to catch on."

"I...I guess i just assumed…" Varric said still unsure of what was happening.

The voice spoke in a reasoning manner, like a mother explaining wrongs to a kid. "Do not assume everything, child. It will be your downfall should you do so. You just saw the ruination brought by that path. Were it not for the dagger's core I gifted you, disaster would ensue. That 'weapon' is not meant as a weapon, but a tool. One that, when granted power, manipulates time just as I can." At that a portal opened up and Varric became horrified. Before him was the vision of what he had just experienced: one by one his comrades falling before a seemingly never ending onslaught of bandits, one by one letting out their final cry of pain. Varric began to shake violently and clutch his head.

"They were supposed to stop coming...they were supposed to give up….Stop it, STOP IT" he began to scream as the images triggered a relapse.

"Hush, child…."

Varric finally went quiet. He felt a warm light wash over him, settling his nerves somewhat. "What do I do….I can't even trust my knowledge of this world….I'm not cut out to be an ACTUAL Tactician, what makes you think I am?!"

Again the voice was soothing. "Dear child, you are capable of far more than you realize...let go of your doubt, for your journey WILL be similar to one you have experienced many times. But as you will learn, the difference between any two points in time...is semantics."

"...Did you just quote-" Varric started, before there was a flash and a portal opened up before him, within arms' reach. It showed the legion arriving at an abandoned castle..

"Go, 'Varric', your companions will need you. Have faith in yourself, and your friends. You are not as weak as you think, and your friends will not always need to rely on your judgement to survive. Remember to gather the crystals when you must seek my aid." The voice faded as Varric reached out to the light.

* * *

"Varric!" Lyn's voice jerked him awake, she was holding his head, looking down. "What happened?! You just fell to the ground…" she explained. Around the two was everyone else with a worried expression.

"Huh?..." Without thinking Varric grabbed and hugged Lyn, much to her embarrassment and, momentarily after, Varric's own as well. He quickly got up and separated from her. "Uh… sorry about that. R-Reflex I g-guess…" he looked around trying to avoid eye contact. His face flushed as everyone stared at him.

Lyn was about to question him when Florina noticed something. "What happened to your hand?! Where did that mark come from?!" Florina cried. Sure enough, there was a cobalt blue scar all across where Varric's hand had been stabbed through.

"Huh? oh...Uh...remember how those crystals we thought might be magic? It uh...seems this happens if you cut yourself on them! I should've known I couldn't hide it long."

Lyn let out a sigh of relief, then looked at him with irritation. "You should've just said something, not worry me like that!"

"How'd you even cut yourself?" Sain asked.

"Well, I was looking at the crystal before I fell asleep, guess I accidentally slept ON one of them…" Varric continued to make up.

"Crystals? What crystals?" Wil said bewildered.

"Varric has these odd gems, they fit into his dagger. We, as well as him, still aren't sure how they work yet." Kent explained.

" _Wait, are they even still there?"_ Varric thought as he looked at his dagger. The 3 shards that had shattered were still there, but they had lost their luster. He quickly put it back before anyone else could notice the difference. "A-Anyways...where are we?"

"Florina scouted from above and found this abandoned castle, remember? YOU suggested we head in and turn in early for the day!" Wil answered.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lyn asked worried.

Varric let her help him up and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah...it's uh, it's coming back now. Let's go." Before anyone could say anything else he headed in.

* * *

"Are you sure about this Lady Lyndis?"

"Yes Kent, we're protecting Natalie and that's final." Lyn replied.

A weak looking woman was being comforted by Florina. "I'm sorry to trouble you all…" she apologized.

"Please don't worry, we don't mind." Florina responded.

"Yeah, what kinda monsters would we be if we just left you here?" Varric added.

Sain bowed dramatically. "To abandon a beautiful flower such as yourself to this harsh world would be a terrible sin!"

Wil sighed. "Is greenie here always like this?!"

"Just whenever he's addressing a woman." Varric replied.

"But she JUST told us she came out here to look for her _husband_!" Wil said exasperated.

"He's a flirt, not an adulterer, Wil." Varric reassured.

"Even I can vouch for that." Kent said from his post at the entrance.

"Varric, are you SURE you're alright? You look like you're about to pass out at any moment." Lyn interrupted. It was true, Varric was in a cold sweat looking just about ready to drop where he stood, his heart and mind already racing.

"I'll...be fine. Trust me. Just be on guard, Ganelon Bandits are serious about revenge."

"You're really sure they're out here, aren't you?" Lyn asked, to which Varric nodded.

"Please….If you see Dorcas, tell him a place he can hide. If there are bandits out here I don't want him to get caught up with them…." Natale said softly.

" _Oh you have no idea just how "caught up" he is with bandits…"_ Varric thought before checking the sun's position. " _It's just about that time…"_

Varric called the group to huddle up. "Alright guys, if bandits attack, here's how it will go: Kent and Sain, guard the front entrance and don't let a single person in. Florina, you keep watch on the east side and in case of emergency protect Natalie. Wil, the east wall is just about ready to collapse. Shoot arrows through the gaps at anyone who tries to break it down. Lastly, Lyn will take the west side, and I'll be with her in case I need to relay info."

"You sure you don't want to wait back with Natalie, Varric?" Lyn asked again.

"I'm absolutely sure. I'm not just gonna sit back and hope things work out, I need to be on the field in case we need to change strategies." Varric assured.

* * *

"Alright boys, ATTACK!"

With a battle cry from the top of a nearby hill, Bandits started streaming into the area. A scout went to meet back with his leader but with a THUNK he fell with an arrow in the back of his head.

"Varric's intuition continues to amaze…" Wil muttered to a nearby Florina, who shakily nodded.

"Looks like you were dead on, I can see the two bandit leaders from here." Lyn remarked to the tactician. "And I can see another headed this way. Stay back and I'll-"

"Wait Lyn, take a look at his face. Looks alot like who Natalie described if you ask me."

Lyn's eyes narrowed, then widened. "You're...You're right…"

Varric quickly ran out, ducking and easily avoiding a handaxe as he did so. "DORCAS!"

The so called bandit stopped dead in his tracks. "...How do you know my name?"

Lyn ran out and got in front of Varric protectively. "Because Natalie is here!" she cried, and Dorcas nearly fell over.

"N-Natalie?!"

Varric motioned for him to come over. "Get in here, we'll fill you in. Unless you WANT your wife to get captured and more than likely sold."

* * *

One Husband-Wife reunion later.

"You sure about this, lady?" Dorcas said to the "unconscious" Lyn over his shoulder.

"Shh! I'm supposed to be knocked out! And yes, Varric's plans always work out!"

* * *

At the same time, back at the castle….

"Alright guys, fall in and get ready to strike quickly and ruthlessly!" Varric commanded as everyone gathered in hiding in the castle.

"This seems a bit guerilla…." Kent muttered.

"That's the point!" Sain countered. "Sometimes to deal with a barbarian you fight like a barbarian, such is life!"

"Thank you, Sain!" Varric said happily.

"So let me get this straight, Lyn and that Dorcas guy are gonna sneak around back where the leaders are… and 'Brutalize' the leaders?"

"Yeah, it's a tactic where you purposefully make your killing blow gratuitously violent and gruesome. It's great for getting rid of an enemy's strength in numbers because when dealing with cowards and idiots like bandits, they flee in all directions. Still, there's alot of bandits, plenty of which will run this way…"

"Which is why we need to still be ready to finish off a bunch of off guard enemies. Got it." Wil concluded.

* * *

"Good work Dorcas, for once you actually earned your keep…" The bandit leader chuckled as he turned to survey the bandits enclosing on the castle. "And soon these good for nothings will be dead where they stand."

"You sure about that?" Lyn responded. The bandit never even had a chance to respond as he dropped dead with a short, sharp cry, dying with a sword through his heart. The bandits behind immediately turned tail as lyn motioned to turn her blade on them next. swinging her blade quickly and cleanly such that the grass was left coated with the blade's blood.

The scrawny looking co leader let out a cry that got the attention of the rest of the bandits, struggling as Dorcas picked him up by his hair. "Wh-WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU TRAITOR?!"

"Quittin my job, 'Boss'" Dorcas responded with spite as he wound up his axe and fully decapitated the co-leader's head from his ragged body. What few bandits remained were struck down as Dorcas and Lyn watched each other's backs and cut loose. At least a dozen bandits headed towards the castle. Three were instantly taken out by two lances and a headshot arrow.

"FINISH EM OFF GUYS!" Varric cheered.

* * *

One brutal mop up of disheveled bandits later…

"Natalie….you sure you're okay with this?" Dorcas asked.

Natalie simply nodded, before looking at Varric, the only other person in the room. "I trust you with my Husband, he can be a bit rough around the edges…"

"Hey now…"

"But we're both in your debt for all you've done." she finished.

Varric smiled. "If Dorcas is willing to help Lyn, he's a friend of mine." Varric replied. He stuck out his hand. "We'll be happy to pay you as well for any help once we help Lyn take her rightful position as heir."

Dorcas shook the hand, and Varric was very grateful it wasn't crushed to dust by the end of the handshake. "Glad to be a part of the crew, boss." He said with a smile.

The two headed out to the rest of the group. Varric got everyone's attention. "Alright guys, first thing tomorrow we help Natalie and Dorcas get back home, and afterwards, Dorcas has been so kind as to help us help Lyn!"

"It's the least I could do after the trouble I caused you all." Dorcas said sheepishly as he raised a hand.

Sain let out a woop. "Welcome to the legion, Dorcas!"

"Our numbers just keep growing…to what extent will this continue?" Kent wondered.

Lyn chuckled. "Well, regardless, we have plenty of vulneraries. You intuition is something amazing, Varric. It's like you knew from the start we'd grow this big."

Varric scratched the back of his head. "L-Like I said, I've seen this situation play out a lot, I knew it'd grow pretty big pretty fast."

Wil examined Dorcas's handaxe. "I've been wondering….how do these work? They're like reusable arrows!"

"Well they're more like bows and the blade is the arrow." Dorcas explained. "It's an enchantment that lets it return to me, but the enchantment only works so many times, so in a way I'm limited like an archer when using a handaxe.

"Alright guys, let's make a fire, THEN chit chat." Varric reminded.

* * *

" _Never again….no more assumptions, from now on I have to treat this seriously…. This isn't some game, it's not inside a game, it's its own reality. Entropy is in play, things are in flux. The moment I get comfy is the moment I get someone killed."_ Varric thought to himself before being shaken from his thoughts by Lyn. "Huh?"

"C'mon! You promised!"

"P-Promised what?!" Varric exclaimed.

"Your song! You said you'd tell us that bard song! Welcome to the Family!"

"You...you remembered the name…" Varric said almost dazed.

"Of course!" Lyn exclaimed, her expression showing her excitement. "Kent, Sain, and I have been WAITING to hear it! There was….that incident at the shrine, and you never told us it."

" _She….she actually wants to hear it…."_ Varric couldn't help but smile like an idiot. "Yeah...yeah. Okay, you win."

Varric sat around the fire, with everyone watching, and got out his knife and began alternating tapping the blade and hilt to the ground, creating a steady beat.

" **Roam in the narrows hum the cells a dirge…** "

* * *

 **A/N: alright if some of you readers feel like jumping ship after all that deviation from the actual game, please don't leave just yet. This is probably the most jarring shift I'll ever write, and now I've established the most out there original plot points (the dagger and Naga's presence) so as I said there probably won't be this large a leap in logic at any other point. But an advance warning: Varric isn't exactly subtle, and it's honestly in character for him to suddenly start talking as if he knows the future without and leaning into things, so yeah there will be jarring shifts when he breaks out his pseudo-omniscience, but they're intentionally jarring. Speaking of jarring moments, I did a bit of research and yeah, that decapitation was completely plausible by real world physics, let alone Fire Emblem physics where 16/18 year old girls can create multiple afterimages.**

 **Also whenever Varric breaks out a tune, I heavily encourage you to look up and give a listen to whatever tune it is because I AM picking them based on if they fit the scene.**

 **BTW to date this chapter, LEGENDARY LYN REVEAL IN FEH! Oh this has given me so many more ideas, you all have no idea...**


	6. Interval 1: Varric's Passion

**AN: This is the first interval. They might get longer later on but for now they're very short, just a sort of little extra bit of context here and there probably usually focused on Varric's interests and his personal relations with other characters. (the length of this has literally been doubled by the ANs)**

 **Review Responses:**

 **JP I'm Italian: I put it on my profile. I have big plans for Serra later down the line and Erk has been easily one of my favorite characters to write for. Because he's basically me.**

 **Deeludeed: that's what happened last chapter. Varric assuming that the bandits would leave after 8 turns worth of time led to the group being wiped out by what turned out to be a neverending onslaught.**

 **Brilliant Anon (My name for the Anonymous who solved my Lundgren issue, make sure to include this title in further reviews so i can properly credit you!): Yeah I know the large amounts of world building make putting them all in the same universe a cluster f strike of contradictions, but i thought long and hard about whether to go this route, and in the end decided better to right something fun than something sensical but limited. And hey the vast majority of our planet is water, and for the longest time mankind was fragmented to the point where people thought the world was endless and worldwide connection is a very recent thing in the grand scheme of things. So i decided that I could just claim that there's a lot more landmasses in the FE world and for one reason or another, like say impossible to cross ocean currents, they've all been sectioned off from each other. But agains i was thinking "Fun stuff first, justification later". Also technology in human history drastically differed in advancement depending on region due to ease of access to certain materials and tools not being universal. As for the Bow thing, remember don't think of this in terms of game mechanics. Yeah people won't be masters of weaponry the moment they pick one up, but there's no weapon skill ranking. And you may or may not be off base with your prediction.**

Varric stopped the rhythmic tapping of his dagger, and exited his trance-like state of recitation. There was a long silence, and Varric immediately felt like crawling into a hole. "..S-Sorry if that sounded off to you guys...I'm not very good at this…."

"What are you talking about? That was perfectly fine." Dorcas immediately replied. "I think we're all in agreement though, we never heard anything like that."

"Y-Yes!" Kent quickly agreed. "I'm sorry for my silence, it was incredibly insensitive. I was just pondering what sort of tale could result in such a song."

"So...you guys DIDN'T hate it?" Varric hesitantly asked. Most of his audience shook their heads.

"You aren't even half bad." Sain remarked. "Ya made better music with a knife and some whistling than those wannabe bards we have to deal with at Castle Caelin every gathering…."

"If I'm good, I'd hate to hear the musicians you've listened to…." Varric muttered. He finally Worked up the nerve to look over in Lyn's direction. To his surprise she had a fist to her chin thinking. "Um….Lyn?"

Lyn glanced at Varric in the eyes, before realizing her position, and straightened herself. "S-Sorry. I was just thinking about those lyrics. It's not a meter I've heard before, but then again I've lived my entire life in Sacae."

Varric couldn't help but light up at that. "I'll gladly tell you there meaning some time! This song just scratches the surface of the full tale, and there are others sets of lyrics that further describe the story in rhythm!"

"Haha, seems you have quite an interest in this sort of thing." Wil remarked. "Have an interest in becoming a bard?"

Varric made a snap decision. "Y-Yeah...yeah! I mean, I'm a tactician first but...well, I've wanted to pick up an instrument for a while."

Lyn perked up. "Really? I didn't take you the type for such things, Varric. Though I find it easy to believe after your performance just now.

For the first time Varric noticed Florina. "Uh, are you okay Florina…?"

The lavender haired girl in question peeked out from behind Lyn, and shakily nodded without saying a word.

" _Maybe I shouldn't have sung a horror song in front of her...I should've figured she'd be hypersensitive to it."_ "I'm...I'm sorry if I scared you." Varric said as he awkwardly rubbed his head.

Sain bolted over. "Florina, do you need the company of a brave knight- YOW!" Sain cried as Varric yanked his ear.

"Hm, that seems a rather effective method of control." Kent remarked.

"Have you already forgotten, idiot, that Florina has androphobia?" Varric said annoyed.

"A-Anrdro what?" Sain said, bending his head to prevent tugging.

"Fear of men! So keep your distance unless absolutely necessary, or approached by her!" Varric scolded. Lyn looked at him gratefully, Florina with surprise.

Varric sighed. "...way to kill the mood Sain. Alright guys, might as well take that as a sign to hit the hay anyways."

"...are...are you going to let go?" Sain asked meekly.

"Still haven't decided" Varric replied, to everyone but Sain's amusement.

 **AN: And thus ends Interval 1. If you ever lemme know your thoughts on any part of the story, let it especially be these intervals where i go completely off the script of the game. I'm also really curious what others will think of Varric's library of music he's memorized down to every note. Since you can't put links in Fanfics, I'll just have to put in italics or bold what music is playing and let you guys look up the songs for yourself, something i VERY MUCH ENCOURAGE because the songs aren't picked at random, i use them at specific points based on how they fit the scene.**


	7. Chapter 5: The Odd Couple

**To JP Im Italian and EVERYONE ELSE: please, never hesitate to give writing and story tips or ideas you have to add to the story, nothing is set in stone until it is posted, and I heartily welcome any feedback and suggestions of all kinds!**

* * *

A couple days trek later, the knights seemed increasingly lax. Or at least one of them did.

"Here we are! This marks the Lycian border" Sain cheered triumphantly.

"So that oughta mean no more bandits from here on out, right?" Wil asked hopefully.

"Yeah, but it's out of the frying pan and into the fire." Varric answered.

Sain and Wil both looked at Varric awaiting an explanation.

"Guys, bandits are the least of our worries, be glad that's all we've had to deal with up until now. From here on out, we have to start dealing with Lundgren's goons in addition to bandits. We probably won't be sought out by common bandits, but I guarantee we'll still encounter them. With the balance of power about to shift, there's bound to be mess ups in the administration of men, even moreso depending on how much Lundgren can sway people to search us out."

Kent raised an eyebrow, but unlike before it was in recognition, not suspicion. "You know a great deal about politics, or at least more than I credited you for."

Varric shook his head. "I hate politics of all kinds, which is ironic given my trade. But no, it's not my knowledge of politics, it's my common sense. The people at the top, contrary to popular belief among less educated, don't just laze about. They keep things running. When there's a power struggle, both those at the top and bottom of the ladder suffer." Varric sighed "The bottom line is: the Ganelon bandits are going to be able to slip across the border and pursue us. Don't underestimate the tenacity found in stupid grudges…"

Lyn nodded but smiled. "Nonetheless, I think we've earned a night at a proper place of rest."

Immediately Sain was on one knee. "Please m'lady, allow us the humble pleasure of staying at the crossroads inn. We shall dine like royalty, and the waitress is said to be of legendary beauty! There is no better replenishment for the soul than food and love!"

Kent twitched. "You're as deplorable as ever…."

Lyn let a laugh escape at Sain's theatrics. "The inn will be fine Kent."

Sain nearly broke into tears of joy as Kent bowed. "Yes M'lady."

As if the gods themselves were contriving to ruin any hope, there was a gruff yell "THERE THEY ARE!" and from far the side of a nearby lake, a purple clothed bandit stuck out like a sore thumb, with a ratty looking companion.

"Man, why is there always a scrawny co-leader?" Varric said aloud.

"Co-leader is stretching it." Dorcas cut in. "More like a leader and their head minion. Bandits aren't the sharing type, and authority is no exception."

"Speaking of pairs though…." Varric said aloud with a widening grin. "Do my eyes deceive me, or is that a mage and cleric on the opposite side of the lake?"

An ear piercing screech and a plume of smoke answered Varric as the two figures rushed towards them.

"Those are some impressive eyes ya got, boss." Dorcas whistled.

"It was moreso intuition." Varric shrugged off.

A high pitched voice that was harsh yet dainty addressed the group, as an out of breath cleric trying her damndest to look regal glared at them. "HEY! Those bandits attacked us because they thought we were with you!"

The red robed mage appeared trailing behind her, exasperated. His fabulously purple hair did not detract from the cynicism in his expression. "Ignore this siren." He said apologetically yet scathingly.

"Then...why were you fighting bandits?" Lyn asked confused.

There was a long silence before the young man spoke. "...It just happened."

At that Varric did everything in his power not to burst out laughing, earning several odd looks as he half succeeded at restraining himself.

The young man continued. "She was excited to watch YOU people fight, she somehow didn't think she would get caught up in it as a result. Pay us no mind, we will not trouble you further…"

As he turned to leave - with or without the cleric - Lyn stopped him. "W-Wait! If we're both fighting, we should at least join forces for now!"

The mage raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want our company? I dare not exaggerate: this healer is anything BUT frail. The most hardened of criminals would flee earshot of her after five minutes. Unfortunately, due to a ploy of hers, I'm stuck as her "escort."" His harsh words were even more harsh with the speaker refusing to acknowledge the cleric's presence next to him.

"ERK! What the heck?! You really do have nothing but looks going for you!" She huffed and turned to the group. "I suppose… I, Serra the beautiful, could be so kind as to offer my invaluable abilities…" at that, however, she waved to the group with a brush of her hand. "Go on, Erk. Use your magic to aid them."

The mage looked like he was about to protest before giving up without even starting. "Ugh…" was all that escaped him.

Varric clasped his hand together to get the crew's attention. "Alright! So Erk the mage and Serra the cleric, welcome to the group! Call me Varric…"

* * *

One round of introductions later…

"I see… a tactician by trade..." Erk confirmed as Varric nodded.

"Yep, he hasn't let us down once so far!" Sain said proudly. Varric didn't comment on the statement.

"A-Anyway, if you guys could follow along with my plan, it'll make working together a whole lot easier. And we really ought to hurry up, those bandits are gonna close in soon." Varric concluded. "Looks like there isn't much opposition, just a lot of difficult to navigate terrain…"

* * *

Several mountain scalings later…

"Y-Y-YOU'LL ALL REGRET THIS!" The bandit leader screamed as he backed away in terror. "The Ganelon bandits will-" his rambling was swiftly interrupted by a flaming arrow to the skull.

"I have to admit, this fire magic and arrow combination is quite effective." Erk said with a smirk as he watched the magic take hold of the remains and burn away the corpse.

"I'll say! These guys are dropping like flies!" Wil laughed.

Varric couldn't help but smile.

"You look awfully happy." Lyn said as she approached. "I suppose you have every right to be proud, thanks to you that fight went incredibly smoothly." To her surprise, Varric immediately shook his head.

"My commands had very little to do with this one, you guys are just really good at what you do! I'm proud, but not of myself."

To both their surprise, a certain pegasus knight joined in. "You don't g-give yourself enough credit…" Florina murmured.

Lyn smiled. "What Florina means is that you're just as important to the team as anyone else. A squadron is just a bunch of individual soldiers without a leader. With one, they become a unified force."

"Y-Yes! Exactly!" Florina confirmed, and Varric felt his face flush.

"Th-Thanks you two…" He managed.

* * *

"You were a tremendous help, healing powers amaze me…" Lyn said in awe of Serra's staff.

Serra puffed up with pride. "Only those in the service of good can wield them!" immediately there was an inaudible snark from Erk questioning how she could possibly possess such abilities.

"Nonetheless, I suppose it is time we say goodbye." Lyn said solemnly. "I apologize you were caught up in all of this."

Before Serra could respond Erk cut her off "Again it was our fault, not yours. We will be off."

Varric counted down with his fingers and just as the two magic users were about to leave, Sain jumped forward.

"Halt! What beauty lies before me?! I must know your name earthly goddess!"

Serra immediately turned around and held out her hand as if waiting for it to be taken. She spoke with her eyes half closed in feigned disinterest. "I am Serra the beauteous, in service to house Ostia. You are?"

Sain took her hand while kneeling. "Please, call me Sain, a knight of Caelin, in service to Lady Lyndis."

Varric leaned over to kent. "So, why did he only just now notice Serra? I'm pretty sure she even healed him at one point during that skirmish." he whispered.

"Sain has a sort of battle blindness. Battles are my one reprieve from his constant want to flirt…" Kent sighed.

"Oh? So Lyn is a member of the marquess's family?"

"Indeed, she is the granddaughter to our lord, the marquess."

"Interesting…" Serra murmured before dragging Erk a short distance away.

"...you can't be serious-" Erk started audibly, before Serra ran back. "Oh Saaaaiiiiin~! Could we maybe join your little company-" She began.

Before Sain could pounce, Varric shoved him back. "We'd love to have you join us. Welcome aboard."

Erk sighed yet again. "Varric, you do realize she's-" Serra cut him off with a shush, but Varric went on.

"Using us to gain favor with the Marquess? Yeah I already know that." Varric finished. Serra immediately turned red.

"W-What are you talking about?!" She stuttered.

Varric laughed and Erk allowed a chuckle to escape him. "It seems you aren't as clever as you think. Not that I'm surprised." The mage snarked.

"Really it's Erk's consent I'm waiting for. You've already bound yourself to us, o beautiful Serra."

Erk raised an eyebrow. "I take it from your tone you have information to share before we join?"

Varric simply nodded and Lyn stepped forward. "There's a power struggle, my Granduncle...he wants to rule, and that means killing me. We've had to deal with bandits and assassins several times already. Varric predicts it will only get increasingly difficult for us." She explained.

Serra visibly regretted her choices but held her ground. "You think that intimidates the likes of us? You must be joking! Our magic will only certify ourselves as invaluable help!"

Erk rubbed his temples "I think I'm going to be ill…"

Varric clapped his hands together, a gesture that by this point always got the legion's full attention. "IT'S SETTLED! Everyone, say hello to our new healer and anima mage!"

* * *

As the legion began to head out, Erk let himself fall next to Varric. "There aren't many magic users in these lands. I'm surprised you knew what specific kind of mage I am."

Varric smiled. "While not a practitioner, i know a good deal about the art of spellcasting. Anima, Light, and Ancient magic. Elemental, divine, and dark."

Erk seemed further impressed. "It's even rarer that I hear someone refer to the dark arts as ancient magic. I admit I'm impressed. I suppose all this knowledge comes with your territory?"

"Yep. If I don't know what every person under my command is and isn't capable of, I'm unfit to lead." Varric responded. "And that being said, I'm aware someone as sane as yourself can only take so much of someone like Serra, so I'll try not to keep you two paired up all the time." He let himself smirk at his comment.

His expression was reflected by Erk. "...I don't usually consider myself the type to get along with people, but I must admit you've raised my hopes."

Varric held out a hand, and spoke as Erk shook it. "Welcome to the Legion, we take all kinds."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short, but there really was just about nothing for me to work with besides the introduction of my favorite mage and favorite cleric of this game. Don't worry though, the next chapter gave me PLENTY to work with.**


	8. Interval 2: First of Many Dreams

**A/N: Impromptu spur of the moment carpe diem etc interval! (this is conpletely subject to the possibility of being partially or fully retconned and edited in post)**

* * *

Varric opened his eyes to a blur of blue as his eyes adjusted. He could hear a faint piano in the background and an unmistakable silhouette.

The figure smiled wide. "Do not be alarmed…"

" _How the actual hell-"_ Varric couldn't even finish the thought from his shock.

"...you are fast asleep in the real world." the opposite man finished. He was short in stature with a terrifying glare offset by a wide grin. He lay out a deck of cards. "Do you believe in fortune telling?"

"Yes." Varric replied automatically, not even fully registering his surroundings. He couldn't even tell if there was an attendant. He hoped it was the older sister.

The cards flipped over one by one, reshuffling after each reveal until one card remained. One with the roman numeral nine. "The Hermit Arcana...a fitting one indeed. It represents the wisdom and solitude required to guide others as well as oneself…"

Varric couldn't hold back a laugh at the irony, but his laughter was cut short as the grin somehow widened even more.

"But it is also something to take literally. The Hermit is prone to becoming exactly that: a RECLUSE."

The word echoes in Varric's head as he felt as if he'd fallen from a dizzying height. he had flashes of memories. Not memories he himself had retrieved. He saw himself in a sped up world, as entire days would go by and he never left his dorm. Taking the longest possible route to every class to always be last; the better the chances of not having to speak to anyone. Sitting in the back of every lecture, risking missing out on info for the sake of isolation.

"But even a Recluse has a need for communication." the man interrupted the series of flashing memories. "I wonder, was it your desire for communication that endeared you to them? Or was it simply escapism?" he let an eerie chuckle. "Most likely both...Don't you agree, my guest?"

"Why am I here…?" Varric asked, feeling as if someone were sewing his lips shut, every word an ordeal to speak.

At that, a thick fog fell over everything, and Varric opened his eyes to the sounds of wind and rustling leaves by riverside, where the group had made camp. "... _First I end up in Elibe, now I dream about being in the Velvet Room…..yep. I'm definitely going insane."_


	9. Chapter 6: Two Sides to Every Story

**AAAAAAAH GameFreakimage is reading my story! Again I can't say this enough, give his work a read for an amazing story!**

 **JanSolo: it'll be a warm day in Hel (not a type, brush up on your mythology PLEBS) before anyone replaces Matthew. Legault didn't succeed at that and neither will Varric.**

 **So because APs and finals simultaneously are a bitch to deal with, I'm uploading this a few days early cause I won't have time to refine it anymore throughout the rest of the week. So expect a long delay between this and the next chapter.**

* * *

"What city is this?" Lyn said as she craned her head to see the full castle before them at the edge of the city.

"This is Araphen, M'lady. It's the second largest city in Lycia after Ostia itself." Sain replied in his best Kent impression.

" _This city is infinitely bigger than it seemed in game…."_ Varric marveled in silence as he looked all around at the busy streets and bustling castlefront.

"I take it you don't visit the big cities very often." Wil said, starting Varric.

"Well, you guys DID say you found him in the middle of the plains." Erk commented.

"Um… yeah, I don't typically visit the REALLY big cities…" Varric said, still slightly enraptured by the sight of all the commuters.

Lyn stepped up next to him. "Second biggest...Hm, it is incredibly busy here….Wait where's Kent?" she asked Sain, somehow having fallen for his impression.

Sain laughed at the expression on Lyn's face. "He's meeting with-"

"M'Lady Lyndis!" the ACTUAL Kent called out as he rode up to the group on horseback. "I've secured a place of rest! Let us proceed to the castle!"

"Excellent work Kent." She replied happily. She motioned and the entire group made their way, with varric, Kent, and Lyn leading the pack.

" _This will not end well. I should start taking notes now of the area's layout…"_ Varric thought as he observed his surrounding more than his companions.

"So, Kent, what exactly did the marquess say?" Lyn asked.

"He agreed to provide us with supplies, allow us rest, and even provide aid in reaching Caelin!" Kent said with almost excitement in his voice. "Araphen and Caelin have long been in a sturdy friendship, all i had to do was inform the Marquess of our plight and he agreed to help us!"

"You certainly are chipper about it." Varric remarked offhandedly.

"It brings me great joy to know these hardships that have plagued Lady Lyndis will soon end." Kent replied, and for a split second Lyn reddened.

"W-well, regardless, you certainly are loyal, even by the standards of a knight." She praised.

Kent bowed his head in gratitude. "I would lay down my life for Caelin without hesitation."

* * *

"Rath, go and meet the girl and her companions, let them into the castle."

A green haired nomad bowed to his superior, "Yes, m'lord." His expression remained cold and stoic as he left.

"... _I wonder if this barbaric charade is truly worth what he promised…"_

* * *

Varric, still focusing on the surrounding area, saw an unmistakable silhouette. "You guys go on ahead, there's something i need to check." He said and swiftly slipped away from the group, hiding a very wide smile.

* * *

"Hey Matthew." Varric said as he opened the door, surprising the thief.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" the cloaked blonde said preparing his knife.

Noticing the movement, Varric held up his hands. "HEY NOW! Your reputation precedes you, that's all! By which i mean i asked around town for a lockpick and everyone kept talking about a thief with that name. I just did some process of elimination and figured the person watching a soon to be battlefield like a vulture was him."

Matthew sheathed his dagger and grinned. "Well aren't you the perceptive one. Let's cut to the chase buddy: I don't work for free."

"I can't pay you."

"No dice then."

"Not even if by the end of this job I'll be able to pay you plenty?" Varric added.

"I'm listening." Matthew replied his grin unwavering.

"Someone like you must know about the power struggle in Caelin. Let's just say I'm on what's going to be the winning side. Wouldn't it be in your best interest to gain favor with the heiress to the marquess?"

There was a silence, before matthew laughed. "My, My, it seems you aren't as much a fool as you look!" he said as he stuck out his hand.

"And it seems you aren't dumb enough to pass up a golden opportunity." Varric countered grinning as the two shook hands. "I'm Varric by the way, the group's tactician-" he stopped dead in his tracks as he heard a shriek on the wind. "LYN!" in a flash he was running faster than he knew he could. By the time he got there, Lyn was talking to a mounted archer. Varric's hand slammed into his forehead. " _I FUCKING FORGOT ABOUT_ HIM _!"_ He screamed internally. A hand tapped his shoulder. To no one's surprise, the thief had easily kept pace.

"Oy, looks like someone's moving in on your lady." He said smirking. "And before you ask, it's 'cause it's written all over your face. I'd have to be blind to not notice how you felt after that display."

"...Don't you dare say a word to a soul." Varric muttered, disheartened.

"Lips are sealed, but I'll still probably give YOU shit about it."

Varric was already running over to Lyn.

* * *

An aging man overlooked the skirmish at the front of the castle. "Hmph. starting things early?….common bandits indeed, hardly fit for mercenary work. At this rate they'll only cause me trouble, even more than the girl…"

* * *

"M'lady! Are you alright?!" Sain asked as he moved over to Lyn.

"Yes… I am… this man helped me." she replied as she looked up at the mounted archer. He began to move without saying a word. "W-Wait!" Lyn called.

"I thought i saw a Sacaean woman in need of help. It seems i was mistaken." The archer said coldly.

"No, no you're right! I am from Sacae! My name is Lyn, I'm from the Lorca tribe."

The man's eyes ever so slightly widened. "The Lorca….there were survivors? …I am Rath. Rath of the Kutolah. If you truly are of the plains, I have every reason to trust you. Either leave now, or help us men of the marquese fight off these scum. They've set the castle ablaze. There are secret passages, one of which leads to the castle chambers. There are keys…"

* * *

"LYN!" Varric called as he sprinted up. Immediately Lyn turned.

"V-Varric! Are you alright?! Bandits have attacked the castle-" She began.

"I'm fine, are YOU alright?! I heard you scream…."

"I'm fine, Varric. Thank you for your concern, but you don't need to worry. This man saved me!" She gestured to Rath atop his horse, who simply looked down coldly. When he refused to introduce himself, Lyn continued. "His name is Rath, he's from the Kutolah tribe, a Sacaen nomad tribe like my own. He's also in service to the marquess of Araphen and has explained how we can help!"

Varric and Rath seemed to be engaged in a glare off, but at Lyn's coaxing, Varric stepped down and listened to her explain what Rath had told her.

"...so we need locks opened?" Varric confirmed.

"In short, yes." Lyn replied."

"Well then we're in luck, I just met-"

"ME!" Matthew interrupted, bowing dramatically. "Matthew, the master of acquisitions at your service!"

"We've no need for a _thief_." Lyn scathingly replied immediately.

Matthew smirked "Really? That's not what your tactician said when he hired me."

"You HIRED him?!" Lyn said as she turned to Varric in disbelief. "Varric! I thought-"

"You literally just said we needed locks opened." Varric interjected flatly, immediately silencing Lyn.

"...fine. But I take no responsibility for this odd one's actions." She said before turning back and speaking to Rath in a very one sided conversation. The moment she was out of earshot Matthew leaned on Varric's shoulder.

"I can see why she's a keeper, she's absolutely sweet." Matthew chided sarcastically.

"...Shut it, You don't know her like I do. Now get to lockpicking up north, and as soon as you're done, start looting whatever chests you find without hesitation. If you find any powerful weapons, bring them to us, i have a feeling we'll need them."

"You got it buddy!" In a flash Matthew began to make tracks.

There was a clap, and everyone gathered save Matthew.

"Alright. Sain and Kent, i can see two axe bandits from here. You each take one. I trust you're more than capable by this point to single handedly take out one. Still, Wil and Erk, you each support one of them in taking out their target, using ranged attacks from behind. There's a locked door down there. I'm willing to wager a large sum of gold at least one of the bandits around here has a spare key. Whoever kills the bandit with the spare key, immediately deliver it to the group to our south. That group will consist of Dorcas and Serra, as well as Wil and Erk once they finish their first task."

"Wait, so what do Kent and I do?" Sain questioned, but was quickly shushed by Kent.

"I'm getting there." Varric responded. "First off, I've sent Matthew ahead to unlock any northern doors, he should be-"

"Back any moment! All done!" Matthew said cheerily twirling a blue and yellow skeleton key. "Two doors unlocked, one had a weird panel, the other oddly enough a lockpick, which is good 'cause my current one is on the verge of breaking."

"Does he always just pop in?" Serra said bewildered.

Varric ignored both of them. "Well then, Rath you head onto that panel and trigger it, then join the rest of the group. That panel will likely open up the majority of the hidden paths. Florina, Matthew, and Lyn will lead the charge in. Kent and Sain, you follow once you finish off your two bandits. Florina, I'm guesstimating we're gonna see lance users. It'll be your time to shine if that happens, as Lyn and Matthew are sword and or dagger wielders."

Florina nodded. "Got it!"

" _Her confidence is growing by the day. Or maybe she's just used to me by now…."_ "Rath, you'll join the back of the group after stepping on the panel. Ready? Bre-"

"Hold on." Rath interrupted coldly. He still hadn't descended from horseback. "I know the passages, I should lead. Does that not make the most logical sense, 'tactician'?"

"I was wondering that myself, to be honest." Lyn agreed. " Rath is in service to the marquese after all."

Varric scowled and shook his head. "...I don't care about that. He can lead once the castle interior is reached but for now he sticks to the back. He's a mounted archer, but we'll be indoors so mobility like that isn't as useful. That means we use his natural mounted height to our advantage. He can aim over our heads at enemies…"

"Meaning he can support from the back without putting himself in harm's way and without being hindered!" Lyn finished. "I see…"

"...very well then." Rath conceded.

"Alright. Break." Varric finished.

* * *

Lyn furrowed her brow. "Matthew, what are you doing? You keep breaking away from the group."

"Oh, just unlocking and looting."

"WHAT?! So those chests we passed by-"

"Are now empty! Correct!" Matthew cheered as he held up and Angelic Robe, trying it on. "Hm...not really my style, but i bet it would look lovely on Florina!"

At the mention of her name, Florina looked over, and was momentarily enraptured by the cloak. "Wh-what is that…?"

"An Angelic Robe! When activated, they merge into your very being and increase your vitality forever! There are alot of treasured items like that in the world, but they're nonetheless highly valued!"

"ENOUGH!" Lyn yelled angrily. "We are NOT stealing from this place!"

"Hey! It isn't stealing if we earned it! Your tactician agrees with me, he authorized it, so take it up with HIM if you got a problem." Matthew countered.

" _Gods Varric, why would you let him do as he pleases?!"_ "...so be it." Lyn said coldly.

* * *

"AGH!" Kent cried as he was sent flying by a heavy lance.

"KENT!" Sain cried as he rode over to his partner.

"This ain't good, without Erk we don't have a good way of dealing with this guy, but they're no doubt busy down there dealing with the reinforcements…." Varric thought aloud as he oversaw the group's attempt on the powerful knight standing between them and victory. " _C'mon Matthew where's that Armorslayer?!"_

"Everyone, don't let up!" Lyn cried as the group continued to rain down attacks, enough to keep the knight from targeting any single one of them.

"Ugh….arrows barely leave a scratch…" Wil grumbled.

"Da-da-da-da-dada!" A familiar voice cried as a figure cleared all their heads, landing in front of the knight with a "SHING" noise. "MATTHEW TO THE RESCUE!" He cried, holding in two hands a serrated, INCREDIBLY sharp blade.

"That's an-!" The knight cried out, before having his armor sliced through like melted butter. "GAH!" he cried as he fell over from the deep cut.

"Finally! He's back!" Varric cheered.

"' _Finally'?"_ Lyn thought.

"FINISH HIM LYN!" Varric called, and in a flash, Lyn had her blade inserted into the opening like a key in a lock, finishing the knight.

Matthew slung the blade across his back. "Matthew saves the day once again with his incredible cunning!" He laughed.

"I must admit… We were at quite the roadblock." Kent muttered, helped up by Sain.

"Yeah, no joke" His partner confirmed. "Nice work Matthew!"

The thief bowed. "At your service!"

Rath rode in front. "I'll go and rally my men! You leave the rest to us!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared further in."

"Well guys, let's do as he said and leave it to him!" Varric called out, before heading out. "Let's go help the south group!"

* * *

As the group was cleaning up their equipment, Lyn pulled Varric off to the side.

"What'd you wanna speak to me about?"

"When Matthew brought that Armorslayer, you said 'finally' ...why did you tell him to loot any chests he found?" She asked quietly.

Varric was silent as he thought through an explanation. "...Okay, you're right, I did tell Matthew to do that. But I specifically told him to open chests of items. I figured we'd be coming across bigger threats sooner or later, and no one has anything good for dealing with heavy armor. Armorslayers, along with other slayer weapons, are usually seen as trophies among royalty. I had no doubt we'd find one down there."

"So you allowed Matthew to do all that…"

"Because I hoped he would find an Armorslayer, yeah." Varric finished. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you but… I figured if I said something you wouldn't allow it."

"But you're the one in charge." Lyn replied.

"You're the one who actually matters though." Varric countered. "Let's be serious, Lyn. If it comes between me and you, the gang is going to take your side…..I'm used to things being like that for me." Varric trailed off and Lyn's expression softened slightly.

"...It's like Florina said. You don't give yourself enough credit." Varric remained silent, and Lyn continued. "And today, neither did I. I'm sorry for doubting you." at that, Varric immediately turned back to Lyn.

"Don't apologize. You only did what you thought what right…..that's all you've ever done. It's….It's why I never hesitate with you at my back." Immediately Varric felt his face flush as he realized what he said. Lyn just smiled, and to Varric's surprise put a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

"I won't apologize then, but you need to realize how important you are to this group." she said softly before turning and heading back to the main group, leaving Varric with a hand to his shoulder.

Rath approached the group. "The Marquess has been secured. If you would, I ask you to accompany me. He should see the faces of his rescuers."

Varric, Sain, Kent, and Lyn all stepped forward.

"We go together."

Rath simply nodded. Varric turned to the remainders of the group. "Dorcas! I'm counting on you to keep them in check!"

"Whatever you say, boss." Dorcas replied.

" _This is gonna be rough…"_ Varric thought as he headed with the other 4 to the interior of the castle.

Inside said castle was a seething marquese. " _Those barbarians! How DARE they set fire to MY castle?! Lundgren, I swear by it you will regret going back on your promise…_ "

* * *

"Ah, Rath! Excellent work, marvelous performance!" a sly looking man dressed royally said as he approached the five.

" _This is him, huh? Looks every bit unlikeable as he does in game."_ Varric thought.

"Thank you, your majesty, but if you were to thank someone, let it be this group."

"Oh?" The marquess exclaimed as if only now noticing the others.

Lyn paid respect. "My name is Lyndis."

"I see you're Caelin's-" immediately the marquess snapped to Rath. "Leave us. I wish to speak with Caelin's heir." At his word, Rath left in silence, and the two knights distanced themselves. Varric leaned against a nearby wall with his eyes narrowed. He could feel Kent's disapproving gaze, but couldn't care less.

"Now...Lady Lyndis. Do you know the identity of those responsible for this terrible uproar?" The marquess questioned.

"I believe it was the work of my granduncle….Lundgren." Lyndis responded. Before she had finished speaking the marquess continued.

"Exactly! Which means MY castle has been damaged in your family's petty inheritance dispute!" He said with a condescending air to him. Varric had to bite down on his tongue hard to keep from speaking, focusing on the taste of blood in his mouth.

Lyn immediately became unsure of herself. "My-My apologies-" she began before being cut off once more.

"When I had heard Lady Madelyn's daughter was in need of aid, I thought to lend my assistance. As it is now, I withdraw that offer."

Sain looked about ready to burst as well as Varric, but before either could say a word it was KENT who stepped forward. "MY LORD! Marquess Araphen, you gave me your _word_!" Kent exclaimed in disbelief.

The marquess stared in silence for an unnerving amount of time before responding. "Your name is… Kent, is it not? You failed to inform me of one. Vital. Detail."

"What are you-"

"While this girl might resemble Lady Madelyn...she is heavily tainted with the blood of Sacae." The marquess spat, and there was a blur of movement.

"BASTARD!" Varric screamed as he struggled against restraint. "LET ME GO SAIN!" he yelled and attempted to headbutt the knight behind him, barely missing. "I'LL MAKE HIM CHOKE ON HIS OWN WORDS!"

"Varric…" Lyn muttered quietly as she watched him writhe in an attempt to strike out at the marquess.

"Varric, stay yourself!" Kent commanded, but it fell on deaf ears. The marquess scoffed.

"And it seems your company is of the lowest caliber as well-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Lyn snapped to everyone's surprise. She stepped up to the marquess and looked him dead in the eyes. "I am PROUD of my heritage! I will not accept aid from one who disrespects it, and I refuse to conform to anything said by one who disrespects my closest comrade! Kent, Sain, Varric, we are LEAVING!" she finished and stormed out at once, Varric finally giving up his struggle and letting Sain guide him with Lyn. Kent took one last look over his shoulder, before shaking his head and joining the other three.

* * *

"That Marquess was nothing but a lout!" sain cried as the group entered the open air. "M'lady, you held your ground! Do not fear anything, WE are all at your side!" he reassured.

"I….I beg your forgiveness…" Kent spoke up.

Lyn calmed and gazed at him. "What need is there for you to apologize?"

Kent raised his bowed head. "I've been so concerned with seeing you to Caelin. I failed to take your feelings into account…"

"Kent, you have put my safety above all else. Do not trouble yourself." Lyn consoled. "Hold your head up, and be proud."

Sain glanced over. "But… I've rarely seen Varric get so upset, and never him that upset at someone other than a bandit…"

Lyn walked over to Varric, who had put distance between himself and the other three. "Varric, why did you react like that?"

Varric bit down on his thumb. "...I may not understand your pride, but that doesn't mean I will allow anyone to insult it." he answered quietly. His expression was cold and solemn.

Kent and Sain looked at each other. "The last time we had to restrain him like that was…" Sain began.

"At the shrine in Sacae. Yes…" Kent finished.

Lyn's eyes widened a bit, and to varric's surprise she embraced him for a moment. "Varric… to hear you say those words brings me all the comfort i could need. But please, I don't want you to make enemies because of me. No matter what others might say about me, keep yourself safe as well….okay?"

Varric was grateful for his cloak hood to overshadow his flushed face, and he shakily nodded. "...A-Alright, Lyn…"

"Varric. Did you hear what I said to the marquess? You are closest comrade. It is because of you I have been able to persevere so. All I ask is you remain by my side through these trials, and I promise you they will NEVER break my spirit." She spoke with an unwavering gaze.

"Lyn….." Varric at first shakily, then firmly put a hand on Lyn's shoulder this time. "I promise. as long as you need me, I will be there."

* * *

Rath approached his lord, his gaze steeled. "You never made it clear how little you think of my people."

The marquese sighed. "You plan to leave me? Over mere words?"

Rath remained silent for a long while, staring into the distance as the Marquese gazed from his viewpoint. "I have no intention-"

"Then leave." The marquese cut off. "Go run along, be with your barbaric princess."

Despite the harsh words, Rath's expression did not reflect anger in any way. "That would leave many debts unpaid, my lord-"

The Marquese turned and glared. "You foolish boy. Don't you recognize an order when given one? You. Are. Dismissed. Once and for all. ….If you truly intend to repay your debt in full, you will heed my final request from you."

Rath slowly let himself fall to one knee. "...I'm listening."

The marquese smiled. "Teach Lundgren what happens when you try to destroy the longstanding bond between Araphen and Caelin."

In silence, Rath left the marquese's chamber for the last time.

"...it was such a simple plan too, lure the girl in, haul her off in her sleep….but Lundgren thought he could jump things and take us both out? He's even more foolish than I initially thought…" he let out a long sigh. "...And after seeing her face to face it seems I was right. If I raised my hand against the offspring of Lady Madelyn, I'd never be able to gaze at a mirror again…"

* * *

As the group was leaving, they found their path blocked by a familiar nomad.

"Rath!" Lyn cried and ran forward. "What are you-"

"I overheard the marquess… I no longer wish to be bound to that man."

"So you're gonna join us, wonderful. Let's go." Varric rushed, earning him several off looks. "...what? Might as well speed up the process if I know how it'll play out." he shrugged.

"...Very well then. I DO intend to offer my abilities to your group." Rath finally replied to the surprise of many.

Varric sighed and held out a hand. Rath simply stared. "...Well Mr. Antisocial? You gonna shake or what?"

Hesitantly, Rath reached out and took Varric's hand.

"There, not much, but it's a start." Varric concluded.


	10. Interval 3: Another Game About Fate

Varric found himself nodding off along to the rhythm of a moving carriage, but a flash dazed him awake. As his vision cleared he first saw out to the side through the carriage windows a green vortex of energy swirling in an endless void. Opposite him was a mysterious aged figure, impossible to tell if man or woman, with a green hooded cloak and red shroud under it that covered their mouth and nose reaching all the way down their chest. On one arm was a charm bracelet and the other at the elbow some form of symbiote-like rotting pattern.

"Ah, you awake at last. I was beginning to grow tired of waiting for you to continue." the figure said dryly, gesturing to several cards laid out on both sides of a table, similar to a playing card game. A pile of tokens was on each side.

" _Once is an incident, twice is coincidence, but a coincidence this specific is already a pattern…"_ Varric thought as he gripped his head and without thinking flipped over the cards in front of him.

"Now then, where were we…? Ah, yes, your life up to this point. Your viper amulet suits you. Serpentine in appearance all but literally and just as untrusted as a hissing cobra."

Varric stared into the serpent's eyes on his card, and around his neck could feel a locket made out of a serpent's scale. Hexagonal, he opened it up. Visible was what would normally be a family portrait, but all the faces were blurred.

"Do you even remember what they look like? Or have you forgotten them? It wouldn't surprise-" the figure began before the blurs faded. The woman had Hazel eyes and brown hair with blonde highlights.

"As if I'd forget…" Varric muttered with traces of anger at the dealer. The man came into focus as well, with brown eyes and black hair, and big enough to embrace both the mother and varric in one grasp. In the background could be seen several other relatives, but their faces remained grayed out. Varric turned to the figure opposite him and, despite the headaches, managed a wisecrack: "What, now you're helping people with their past? No more of that "game of death" bull?"

The wrinkles visible showed the figure was smiling under their shroud. "Yes….you could say that." They muttered as they twirled their fingers and several tokens slowly flew around the table disinterestedly. "I've realized my potential. All it took was a jolt to my assurance of what was real and what was an illusion. I'm sure you can relate." another card was flipped over showing a labyrinth. "We all must find our way through the maze of life, but some people find a thread to help guide them. We can both relate, I'm sure…"

"What's real and what isn't...I don't know anymore…" Varric muttered.

The tokens condensed slightly as the figure clenched their fist in restrained excitement. "Exactly! And that in itself grants unlimited possibilities in the mind's eye! And with someone such as you, it's desperately needed."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The figure flipped over three cards. One of a group, one of a wall, and one of a hooded figure with eyes shaded out. "After distancing yourself so much, erecting so many walls between you and others, you have no one. That's why this is your chance, isn't it? A chance to make up for lost time and to establish a you that's beloved rather than scorned; establish yourself in a world where you MATTER."

Varric reached out and flipped over one of the few remaining cards. On it was a redhead warrior with nordic clothes. "...I wasn't entirely alone…" he flipped over another card which had a blond man with mid length hair and a bard's outfit, although without a flute or lyre or anything of the sort, giving an impression similar to a jester.

"Ah yes, the blader and joker, how much more lost you'd be without them…" The figure chuckled, before flipping over the final four cards, which slowly lined up. Two figures were at a cliff edge holding onto something. "Those two, The Knight and Joker..." the second card was a long rope strewn across an entire world. "Will be your guiding hands, your only guidance, for no others are you willing to expose your secrets too…" and the last two cards showed what was unmistakably Varric grasping the rope tightly as he gazed at an eden below him. "And for that reason, you must never lose sight of them. You are Arcana. That is your title, do not forget it just as you would not forget them."

"Joker...Knight...Arcana….wait, that's-" a billowing wind swept up everything as the dealer twirled their fingertips.

"And thus the stage is set. Your journey continues." the dealer declared.

With that, Varric woke.

 **Like the last Dream Chapter, this was all written in one go and is subject to change at any point. Nonetheless I hope you liked it!**


	11. Chapter 7: Music Theory

**A/N: BAM DONE WITH ALL THAT ACADEMIC BS. Now i can get back to regularly scheduled uploads as i juggle 10 different projects and 15 different stories at once...**

 **This is probably the first chapter where I'll show Varric's plan actually being carried out on the battlefield, and it's mainly to demonstrate just how I'm gonna have bards and dancers work in my story.**

 **Responses:**

 **JP I'm Italian: I assume when you speak of a fourth figure you meant "blader" but that's the same figure as Knight. I didn't capitalize blader or the first use of joker because those weren't titles, Knight and the second use of Joker WERE titles, along with Arcana. As for their meaning, I mean you'll get results if you literally just google "Joker Knight Arcana." On the surface it's just a reference to one of my favorite things in that reference's particular series, but it's more meaningful than just that. As for what it means, I'd explain to you in full but I can't PM you since you're a guest and I'd rather give readers a chance to figure out the implications as more is revealed in the story.**

 **Scorin: see above.**

 **Brilliant Anon: I was moreso going with Marquess Araphen being a case of "Even Evil has Standards." what with him being unable to bring himself to actually go through with the plan, and also giving a more legitimate reason for Rath to leave. It always seemed weird to me that Rath would've been in service so long to M. Araphen but only after the incident catches wind of any prejudice the guy has, so I changed it to the guy not actually being prejudiced, but rather trying to get Lyn out of there. Lady Medylyn is also built up as a very respected individual and I saw no reason why the marquess of a place with a long standard relation to Caelin wouldn't have immense respect for her as well. Hence why the guilt of bringing harm to her offspring would haunt the guy to his grave.**

 **Unless you were talking about lundgren being even more of a scumbag, which yeah he was trying to kill two birds with one stone and it backfired.**

* * *

"Where is this?" Lyn asked as she gazed at a small mountain range.

"Right about now we should be in Kathelet, right Kent?" Varric answered.

"Correct. It should be approximately 10 days ride from here to Castle Caelin." the knight responded.

"Yeah, that's what it'd be if we didn't have to deal with delays." Sain added.

"Well then that answers that." Erk snarked.

Varric watched as a small boy with icy blue and green hair approached the group, his eyes reddened.

"Pardon me…" He started nervously.

"Yes?" Lyn replied as she walked over to him, next to Varric.

"Are...are you mercenaries?" he went on.

"If we are?"

Immediately the boy looked like he was about to cry. "PLEASE! Please help me!"

Kent warily approached Lyn. "M'lady, you mustn't let your guard down, not even for a child-"

"Cool it, Kent. I know this kid. We can trust him." Varric said. Immediately Kent's wariness vanished.

"You know him, Varric?" Lyn asked.

"I-" the boy began but hushed when Varric winked at him.

"Yeah, the kid helped me out a while back. So I owe him a favor." Varric explained as he put a hand on the boy's shoulder, getting on one knee. "You never did tell me your name."

"N-Nils! My name is Nils!" The boy said, clutching an instrument tightly. "P-Please help me! My sister, Ninian, she's been taken away by some strange men!"

"Your sister?!" Sain intruded. Kent sighed and Lyn and Varric both rolled their eyes. "Did you say your sister has been accosted?!"

"Yes! By these awful men, they came and…" Nils trailed off.

"Sain, curb yourself! We must get to Castle Caelin without delay!"

"GUYS!" Varric shouted. "It's Lyn's decision."

There was a long silence before Lyn spoke. "...I want to help this child."

Nils looked like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I will not sit idly by as a child is separated from their family!"

"Good." Varric said with a smile.

"Please be careful...the men who did this, they're really tough…" Nils warned.

" _Oh believe me, I know…"_ Varric thought, but put a hand on Nils' head. "Hey, don't worry about us, kay? Ninian'll be safe before you know it."

"THERE HE IS!" a voice shouted. Everyone was immediately on guard. A cloaked and shrouded figure approached.

"Heheh...alright kiddo, it's back to Nergal for you…" he heckled.

Nils hid behind Varric. "P-Please don't let them take me…"

"We ain't supposed to kill you, but we'll gladly go THROUGH anyone! And every bit of trouble you cause means we get to rough you up a little bit more!"

The bandit made a rush at Varric, but in a flash Lyn was between the two, her eyes stone cold. "...let the boy's sister go."

"Eh? You wanna die for something that don't concern you?!"

The man got a dark book out.

"A shaman?!" Erk exclaimed. There was a malicious grin on the shaman's face.

"Idiots-"

"Lightning!" a voice called. There was a piercing sound and suddenly the bandit fell to the ground, with spikes of light sticking out of his back. As he fell, a figure with long blonde hair, clerical robes, and a light, thin frame became visible.

"...what an awful thing to do, attacking a child."

One could practically see hearts in Sain's eyes. "By St. Elimine herself...it's an angel…"

Serra huffed. "She's nothing special…."

The figure approached them "I overheard this child's plight in the tavern across the way. I trust you have agreed to help him?"

Varric stepped forward, Nils still clinging to him "Yeah, you wanna join and help US help HIM?"

"It warms my heart to know a group as large as yours would make time for the plight of a child. Yes, I will gladly help. My name is Lucius, I am-"

"A monk on pilgrimage?" Varric 'guessed'.

Lucius nodded. "Yes! Truth be told most people confuse me for a priestess."

At that Sain and Serra both did a double take. One became mortified, the other awed.

"He's a monk….?" They said in unison, before Sain fell to his knees and Serra's eyes filled up.

"He. Is. GORGEOUS." Serra exclaimed in a whisper yell.

Sain pounded the dirt. "BRAND ME A FOOL WILL YOU?! DAMN YOU ALL!"

Kent lightly kicked him. "Quit your complaining, you make a mockery of us all."

Nils stared at the two, confused. Erk sighed in relief.

" _Thank the gods, someone to keep that siren off my back…"_ He thought.

'...Now I've seen it all." Rath muttered.

* * *

One round of introductions and heartbroken sobs later…..

"Kent, Sain, go to the nearby building and gather whatever info you can. Lucius and Serra, one of you go with each, I have a feeling they'll feel more comfortable if both a knight and person of faith are asking for help."

* * *

"Alright, their shamans are most all grouped together on the other side of those mountains. Based on what info we've gathered, these aren't just bandits….They're the Black Fang."

"...uh, can someone tell me if that name should mean something to me?" Wil finally said.

Varric began explaining. "The Black Fang are a powerful organization that specialize in assassinations, corruption, eliminating politicians, etc. They aren't just bandits. Far from it, these people are actually trained."

Several tensed up and a couple faces paled.

"...don't worry, from what I know the fang is at its weakest in this region, Caelin and its surroundings have never been a target. We'll be up against the lowest of the low from them." Varric reassured. "Even so it doesn't really matter, I already know for a fact we can handle this without issue. I'll be with you guys to make sure of it."

"Wait you're WHAT?!" Lyn exclaimed, surprising several with the intensity of her exclamation.

"Varric, we appreciate you want to help, but you aren't exactly a fighter." Erk remarked.

"And you aren't the best runner." Matthew added.

"Which is why I'll need Wil and Rath to help. And before you two get upset, I was gonna put you on guard duty anyways."

"If not for you, for whom?" Rath questioned.

"Nils, obviously." Varric said and the child waved timidly.

"I...I want to help." he piped up.

"Y-Y-You can't let him fight!" Florina cried. "H-He's just a kid…"

"I can't fight...but I can still help!" Nils said with a bit more conviction. Lucius got on one knee next to him.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to put yourself in danger like that?" he said calmly.

Nils nodded. "My music will help you… if I can do anything to help save sis, I'll do it!"

Varric smiled. "You guys heard him, he wants to help. So as I was saying, Wil and Rath will protect Nils and I'll just tag along with you three."

"How the heck is he gonna help us with music?" Wil asked.

"Me and sis, we can use our talents to rejuvenate people. It's not healing, it's more like energizing."

"See guys? Now let's move on!" at his request, everyone nodded. "Florina, I need you to fly Dorcas and Lucius across those mountains, and then stay alongside them just in case. If all goes as planned, you'll be able to cross the river rapids by toppling a giant old tree. Hope your lumberjacking is up to snuff, Dorcas."

The axeman grinned. "Gimme a challenge, not labor."

"Well like I said there are multiple shamans over there, so you won't be without company, that's why I'm sending Lucius, his light magic should tear through their dark tomes. With that, most all their shamans will have been gotten rid of before they could even join the fray."

"I...I can't carry two people at once though, one of them will be left on their own while I bring the second…"

"Already got it covered." Varric said with a wink to Nils.

"Matthew, you lead the charge up until the bridge, where you'll take the long route around. See if you can spy any reinforcements, and if not, continue scouting. If you do, report back immediately."

"Yessir!"

"Kent, Sain, you'll be leading the charge after Matthew makes tracks, with Lyn in tow. Weaken any enemies and let Lyn finish off any that survive. Nils, Wil, Rath, and I will follow behind. Archers, support from a distance but be ready to take out anyone who even tries getting close to Nils, cause we're gonna be pretty close to the front lines." there were several nods. "Lastly, Erk and Serra, go to the magic store."

There was a brief silence before an annoyed "WHAT?!" from Serra. "How dare you send us on some paltry task! I, Serra the decadent, am worthy of healing warriors, not sampling shops!"

"It's called preparation you idiot." Erk scolded. "In case you never noticed, I only have one worn fire time on me and you only have one heal staff!"

"Glad to see Varric is as on top of things as always. You could learn a thing or two from him, Serra." Matthew taunted.

The girl in question reddened and shut up.

"Now then, ready? BREAK!"

* * *

Florina descended from the mountains. "I'm back...but- but I don't think Huey can make another journey like that with two people, not so soon!"

"If you would be so kind Nils…" Varric signaled, and flute music began to fill the air, and immediately Florina felt power surge through her, and her pegasus let out a triumphant whinnie.

"This is...incredible…" she gasped.

Nils couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "It's my special talent!"

"Nils is a magic bard, magic bards and dancers are an extreme rarity, but for good reason: they've mastered an art not many even know of: rejuvenation. Their music and dances have the power to fill a target listener with twice the strength and energy they normally possess, revitalizing them."

The entire group gazed at Nils in awe.

"...w-what…?" He said nervously and hid behind Varric, who simply laughed.

* * *

"Take sommathis!" Matthew cried as he leapt out of the shadows and plunged a knife deep into an opponent's neck.

Sain and Kent were corralling the enemy into the narrow passages between steep mountain cliffs and slopes, riding in the open field and encircling the foe. "As predictable as animals…" Kent muttered as he swept a swordsman off his feet with his lance, not a second after his back hit the ground did Lyn pounce on him, landing with her sword piercing his heart.

"They make it too easy!" Sain laughed as he sliced an axeman with his blade as he rode by, the momentum of the hit allowing him to easily leave a deep and large enough gash to cause his opponent to bleed out soon after.

"For trained fighters, they certainly are uncoordinated…" Rath muttered as he twirled his arrow before aligning it with his shortbow and sniping a far off bandit.

Wil, not one to be shown up, spun his own arrow above his head before pulling back his iron bow and letting his arrow fly into another bandits neck. "Well, these guys ARE supposedly, the bottom of the barrel, right Varric?" Varric simply nodded. Nils began to run forward from the other three.

"H-Hey!" Wil exclaimed, but was quickly shushed by Varric. "Just watch."

Both the remaining bandits near Lyn and Sain turned their full attention to Nils. "GET HIM!" one cried, he stuck out like a sore thumb with heavily scratched but still intact armor that had a faint glow to it.

"Tch….that armor must be enchanted, i can't make a dent…" Lyn thought aloud. She started to run forward but nearly tripped as the exhaustion began to catch up.

Varric called out "SAIN! GO HELP KENT!" without hesitation the knight obeyed. Meanwhile Lyn raised herself and finished off the weakened bandit.

The other bandit, his armor shining bright, ran straight for nils, but to his surprise, the young boy evaded every grasp with ease, before circling around to Lyn's side, a flute in hand as he began to play music. No sooner had the instrument left his lips then Lyn felt her body flow with energy.

"Amazing…." she said in awe. In her distraction the armored bandit changed targets.

"You let your guard down!" he cried as he brought a massive blade down, but in a flash Lyn circled her foe before drawing the Mani Katti and cutting clean through her opponent's armor, the sword glowing even brighter than normal.

"...You do indeed possess a gift, Nils." Lyn said as she smiled at the child bard.

"Th-thank you miss."

…...All the while, In the distant background, Serra could be heard yelling at a merchant about prices.

* * *

"AAAAGH!" a bandit screamed as he was set ablaze. Reflexively he jumped into the stream, but the deceptively fast current brought him headfirst into a jagged rock.

"Fool, as if water could put out my magic flames." Erk taunted.

"Good work all, that takes care of all things this side of the river. Kent, Sain, split off from us. There's only a distant path to the west for you two, instead go protect that town up there, i wont have any bandits taking advantage of the commotion to plunder the place."

The two knights nodded. Serra gave Varric a skeptic look. "And WHY are we letting two frontliners both go protect that town? Sure keep civilians safe and all but both of them?!"

Varric made a tsk noise. "Serra, you oughta know by now those two are practically inseparable. They're vastly more efficient together than when split apart."

Erk snickered at her for the thirteenth time that day, Serra blushed like mad with embarrassment. "Open mouth, insert foot with that woman…." he snarked.

"Alright guys, everyone move as one, let's go!" Varric cried. No sooner had the group crossed the bridge then they were surrounded by at least 8 enemies. In a lash Wil fired two arrows, fatally wounding an axe bandit that made the mistake of charging first. As a far off bandit tried to make a break for help, he fell to the earth with an arrow in his head, courtesy of Rath. 2 sword bandits engaged Lyn and she began to dance around them, bewildering them with sudden strikes. Three shamans grouped together.

"What are they doing?" Varric wondered. Erk paled. "That...chain link!"

"A what?" Varric asked.

"Chaining together magic spells, it exponentially powers the spell. And anima magic isnt effective against shamans, I can't do much to counter that kind of attack…"

As a large flux orb formed, Varric had an epiphany. "Nils, play your music for Erk!"

"B-But he hasnt done anything yet! That much power-"

"Nils, trust me."

"...Okay…"

"What's going on...I feel…." Erk suddenly dropped his tome and flames spurted out of his palms. "This power is enormous...ha! ahaha!"" he cried, straight up laughing for once. "TAKE THIS!" with a motion of his palms, a column of flame burst from the ground, enveloping all three shamans, melting the flux orb and leaving three dead, horribly scorched shamans.

"That was insane…" Varric awed.

"When used on a rested ally, my magic does unpredictable things, I don't really know the effect. But I guess with magic users it supercharges them." Nils said.

Erk picked up his tome, fire (figuratively) in his eyes. "...I have to learn how to do that on my own….: He said aloud to himself.

Even Serra was in awe. "That was…..wait a second, where is Matthew?!"

There was a last gasp of air as the second of the two sword bandits fell to the ground, dead. Lyn wiped her blade. "Yes, where is he? He was supposed to meet back with us after Scouting."

Varric chuckled. "I think I have a hunch. All of you wait here! I'll be back in a few." Varric began to make a mad dash south.

"What's gotten into him?" Serra wondered.

"He's certainly odd…" Rath concurred.

"Geez, you do not let up do ya?" Wil said as he turned to his fellow bowman.

* * *

Matthew entered a lone house, and nearly fell over as he was greeted by a blue haired warrior clad in royal quality armor. "M-M'lord! What brings you here?!" he exclaimed.

The blue haired young man seemed to not be at all surprised. "Ah, Matthew. I'm here to meet Eliwood for our monthly bout. What brings YOU-"

"Hey Mat! How's it hangin?" Varric said cheerfully as he rested his head on the windowsill. "Oh, hi Lord Hector."

Hector had his axe ready. "And just who are you?"

Matthew quickly stepped between the two. "M-M'lord, I assure you he's an ally." he wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. "At least...I think."

"So, you knew from the start, did you?" Matthew concluded as he, Varric, and Hector sat around the house.

Varric nodded. "Your skill gave it away, no thief has your kind of combat ability. And if you were a spy, the logical conclusion would be someone investigating the succession conflict. Once I saw blue hair, I knew it was Hector you worked for."

Hector let out a laugh. "Played you for a fool he did, Matthew! You've gotten sloppy!"

Matthew chuckled nervously. "Er...so, Varric-"

"It's up to you if you want to keep helping us. We could really use your help to be honest. Plus like I said, I'll pay you at the end."

Matthew simply turned to Hector, who opened one eye lazily. "Hm? Do as you like Matthew, I've heard enough to know my brother will back this long lost heiress."

Matthew bowed. "Thank you M'Lord! C'mon varric, we have a battle to finish!" with that he flew out the door.

Varric trailed after, turning at the doorstep to Hector. "Be seeing ya! And give my regards to Eliwood!" with that he bolted as well.

Hector stared puzzled. "Wait, when did I tell him about Eliwood…?"

* * *

Music played and Lucius felt a second well up in him. One hundred needles of light became one thousand, and the enemy leader didn't have time to speak before being skewered from every angle.

"Man, Holy tomes are awfully brutal…" Varric winced.

"You can say that again." Erk agreed.

Lucius sighed and looked at Nils. "Thank you, you truly are blessed."

Nils looked at his feet, abashed.

"Alright, search the castle ruins, Ninian should be in there somewhere!"

* * *

One fruitless search later….

"Where could she be?" Lyn wondered.

"Ninian! NINIAN!" Nils repeated ad nauseam, each time a little more despair in his voice. "Sis...where are you…?"

"M'Lady!" Kent cried as he rushed back to the group. "A group of villagers said they spotted a group of men riding south!"

Sain clenched his fist. "Dammit all! They must still have her!"

Lyn's gaze steeled. "Then we give chase."

"But we won't make it!" Nils panicked. "Wh-what if they're already…" he held his hands up to his eyes, but before he began to cry a voice spoke up.

"Are you looking for this girl?"

Everyone turned t the new voice, and there stood a young man with fiery red hair, a flowing cape, and lordly plating. In his arms was a girl who with only a glance one could tell was Nils' sister.

"Ninian!" Nils cried and ran over.

"She'll be fine, she's just lost consciousness, that's all." The redhead assured.

"And you are?" Lyn probed.

"I am Eliwood of Pherae. Son to the Marquess." he replied with a smile.

"The son of the Maqruess…" Lyn repeated.

"This girl was with a band of Ruffians. She seemed upset, so I did what I thought right. I'm glad to know I acted appropriately."

" _Was he this extremely polite in game? Then again we just met him…."_ Varric thought to himself.

* * *

"...and that's my story." Lyn concluded. "I understand if you don't truly believe it-"

"I believe you." Eliwood cut off.

"Huh?"

"Well that was easy." Varric remarked.

Eliwood looked Lyn in the eyes. "The moment I saw your gaze, I knew. Your eyes, they are the same as the marquess's."

"You know my grandfather…?" Lyn replied.

"Only through cordial meetings, but yes. Pherae and Caelin have always been on good terms; he has never wronged my father and always been kind to me." Eliwood explained. "But more than that, I know the proud people of Sacae tell no lies." he said with a smile.

" _Damn, he's way more smooth than I gave credit."_ Varric thought.

"That...means a great deal that you believe in my people so much. Yes, you are correct, thank you for understanding." Lyn said with slightly red cheeks.

"Now that I know of your plight, I feel it would be a crime to turn an eye. Might I help you in any way?"

Varric began to speak, but a quick glance from Lyn hushed him.

"We are grateful for the offer, but this is my problem, I must resolve it myself." she replied.

Eliwood nodded. "I understand. I'll be in the area for a little while longer; do not hesitate to ask me for aid."

* * *

The moment he had the chance, Varric cut off Eliwood to speak alone. "Eliwood? I need to ask a couple favors of you."

The red haired lord looked puzzled. "But Lady Lyndis said…"

"This isn't about her plight, it's about something else. I know you're good friends with Lord Hector, in fact, I saw him on the way over here."

Eliwood sighed and shook his head. "These meetings are supposed to be low profile, he needs to learn to be more secluded…"

Varric ignored the comment. "One of his top spies is in grave danger."

At that Eliwood went from innocent to serious. "...what are you talking about? What do you know of Ostia's spy network…?"

"I know enough. Tell Hector that if he wants his most trusted spy to live, he'll send her to the marquess of Caelin IMMEDIATELY, and to be present when Lyn reclaims her birthright." Varric spoke quietly, but his tone spoke for the severity behind his words.

After a long silence, Eliwood looked him dead in the eye. "...Very well, I will make sure Hector does as you have asked. But know this: if you bring harm upon Ostia, you will have made TWO enemies."

Varric stared right back at him and, to Eliwood's surprise, kneeled. "You have my word on my life, Lord Eliwood, I would never intentionally bring harm to you or Hector."

"...Stand. .As i have stated: the proud people of Sacae tell no lies, and Lady Lyndis placed utmost trust in you. I will trust your word as well." Eliwood let out a sigh and his usual more carefree expression returned. "Now what was that second favor?"

Varric smiled a little. "Do you know where we could acquire Silver weapons? We have the money for them, but no idea where to find them, and our weapons rapidly wear with all our fighting."

"Of course! There's a blacksmith who regularly fixes mine and Hector's sparring equipment…"

* * *

When Varric returned, Lyn was on his way to find him, while others could be seen preparing to leave, with Nils and Ninian comforting one another.

"Varric! I was wondering where you had gone. There's another problem, a priceless belonging of Ninian's has been stolen."

"Well then we're getting it back. They cant be that far yet." Varric swiftly replied, and Lyn smiled.

"I knew you would understand!" She cried and briefly embraced Varric. "Quickly then, we must make way south!

"R-Right!" Varric finally managed.

* * *

 **A/N: And now is when the interesting stuff begins: how Varric is gonna change fate.**


	12. Chapter 7x: The Bottom Rung

**Responses:**

 **Scorin: Turning the gameplay mechanics into actual story events is easily one of the things I'm having the most fun with. It makes it much easier to write regular combat because it's not like an anime where getting your leg cut open is "but a scratch" so i don't have to be hyper or over the top, but then when something like magic is involved i can take whatever liberties i want due to it being MAGIC and thus not having to be compared to realism. And yes Nils's rejuvenation creates endless possibilities for destructive power, which is why I'll be making a major addition to the story after the year long timeskip.**

 **And i'm glad my story holds up to standard! It certainly would be much harder to write a good story if the game itself didn't hold up amazingly well over time. I mean I STILL play it, before I ever write a chapter I play that respective level of the game as preparation.**

 **JP Im Italian: Varric probably does seem a but GS right now but trust me, you'll see as the story progresses that the further in he goes, the more he has to deviate to stay on top of things. And Nils isn't dumb enough to NOT question things. Also the guy I typically have grammar check my work has been in absentia for a while.**

 **Jansolo: guess you'll have to keep up with the story to find out.**

* * *

"Varric's intuition continues to do us wonders…" Sain mused as he took great joy in preventing a trap door in the floor from opening. Yells of anger could be heard below as Black Fang soldiers tried against Kent, Sain, and gravity to break through.

"He noticed right away there were hidden passages all throughout this area, clearly he's dealt with their kind before." Kent reasoned.

Erk walked up. "I just finished dealing with their mages. Let the doors fly open."

On the count of three, Kent and Sain did as Erk asked. The moment the passageway was opened, Erk filled it with flames. Screams of agony could be heard and quickly died down. "Pathetic." He muttered with a mocking smirk.

Varric casually walked through the corridors, watching as with ease the Legion made quick work of the opponents, with the soldiers looking more like pincushions on light needles and arrows by the time they made it around their own walls. "Keep up the good work guys!" he cheered.

"You're awful nonchalant, Boss." Dorcas remarked from behind him.

Varric shrugged. "These guys can barely put up a fight, I'd feel bad for them if they weren't fang. Bottom line is there's no reason to make a big deal out of these guys."

Rath rode up. "Was it not you who said the black fang were an organization of the highest order to be feared?"

Varric nodded. "Oh they're a big deal, but not in this part of the land." there was a moan of death as the last soldier fell, leaving only one unentered room. Lyn raised her sword and its glow attracted attention.

"Everyone ready? We end this now!" she exclaimed before matthew finished lockpicking the door. Inside there was a ragged, likely once proud warrior. He had a ring in one hand, and a bottle in the other. He watched as the room filled with more opponents than he could handle.

Lyn held her blade out. "Swear you will not lay a hand on these children, and you may still live." Lyn offered. The warrior simply downed the contents of the bottle.

"Failure….means death…" he uttered before dropping dead where he stood.

Those who weren't shocked wore grave expressions.

"...he..took his life with poison…?" Lyn finally managed.

Varric stepped forward and examined vial. "...yep. This is what I meant: the Black Fang don't forgive failure, they're no mere ruffians. This man already lost Nils and Ninian, he knew the punishment for not retrieving them would be a fate worse than death." he nodded to matthew, who grimly nodded and swiftly began looting chests. "Everyone fan out, search the bodies for valuables, et cetera…Lyn, Lucius, Florina, Kent, watch over Ninian and Nils. Take no chances with hidden ambushes.

Lucius and Kent took the children elsewhere, but Lyn stayed behind. "You don't usually break up Kent and Sain unless absolutely necessary." she muttered half focused, clearly still dazed.

Varric was searching the poisoned body. "I picked you four because I know you all can't stand the looting process we do."

Lyn looked at Varric with a sort of respect. " _He really has become so much more considerate…"_ she smiled and walked out without a word, but stopped short at the door. "Varric, look at this…" she called, and Varric's eyes followed her gaze. There was nothing but a cracked floor panel.

"What do you see? I don't-" Varric began.

"Look, this place is worn but never cracked, and this panel's cracks dont reach past its border." Lyn explained. Varric murmured in agreement and brought his knife over to the panel and stuck its blade in between the panels. Under it was a sack that Varric cut open. Three objects fell out, and Varric's dagger began to glow.

"It's resonating…" Varric said in wonder. Without another word, he picked up one of the three objects: a small pouch, and found inside four familiar shaped cobalt blue objects, all glowing. Varric smiled wide. "...oh yeah, all three of these things will come in handy."

* * *

The group began to make camp a short ways away, and immediately Varric sat on a fallen log and got out another of the three items: a dark tome with a cobalt blue binding that would not budge. Erk, Lucius, and Serra immediately took notice.

"Uh, Varric? Where did you get THAT?" Serra piped up.

"Yes….It's concerning that you have that." Lucius said cautiously.

"I found this in the last room of that Black Fang hideout. It seems to be a powerful dark tome." Varric responded as he examined all sides of it."

"Yeah, and based on the fact that it's bound maybe we SHOULDN'T open it." Erk remarked.

Varric was quietly staring at the side of it, where there was the only writing on the outer cover.

"Strange, I've never seen text like that." Lucius muttered.

"I have zero clue what that says." Serra joined in. Erk immediately pounced.

"Why am I not surprised?" he snarked. "...actually, wait, I've never seen that kind of writing either. And I've seen texts of almost every kind known."

Varric finally found his voice. "Dirge of Shadow."

"What?" all three said in unison.

"...that's what it says. Dirge of Shadow."

"You can read this?" Erk said bewildered.

"It's in my native language." Varric said trying to maintain his calm.

"Native?" Lucius repeated. "Ah, come to think of it, I've never seen you read or write anything…" He thought aloud.

Serra had an epiphany and shrieked. "WAIT, ARE YOU SAYING YOU'RE ILLITERATE?!" she screeched, forcing all three others to cover their ears. The rest of the legion had turned their attention to the source of the noise.

"I am not illiterate!" Varric shouted defiantly, but then then he shrunk a little. "...I just cant read or write any language from this continent."

Nearly the whole camp fell over. The same thought rippled through everyone's mind save Varric: _"HOW IS THIS GUY OUR LEADER?!"_

Varric felt like crawling in a hole, but he heard a faint echoing hum. He quickly realized the source: his dagger. Its blade glowed. "It's resonating again…"

"Well, try cutting the binding." Erk said bluntly, having recovered and discarded his own warning out of curiosity. Varric did so, and the tome flew open. For a split second there was an orb made of darkness, before it dissipated. Varric looked at his free hand, he felt a new energy flow through it.

"...Erk, Lucius, I'm gonna need you guys's help later. I need to learn how to read tomes." Varric said with a grin on his face.

* * *

The moon was high overhead as the group stared into the large fire that they were circled around, save Nils and Ninian.

"First off, Nils and Ninian wanted me to explain something to you guys: their rejuvenation isn't there only power."

"Man, those squirts keep surprising me!" Matthew joked. "So what else they got up their sleeve?"

"Well...it has something to do with me as well. You've probably notice my "intuition" by now-"

"YES." most of the group said in unison.

"-well it's not just intuition, it's an...instinct, I have." at that the crowd was filled with contemplation as that sunk in. one by one realization spread across their faces. "And Nils and Ninian have an even stronger instinct than me. Like me though, they aren't sure why they have it."

"...Very well then." Lyn spoke up. "What was your main focus then?"

"Guys, I want to get to the point: I need you all to know just what we're up against. Do I need to further explain, or did today prove far enough what kind of threats we'll deal with?"

After a short silence Wil spoke up, his normally jovial and laid back tone completely gone. "Varric, I think i speak for all of us when I say we know how serious things are….I think I speak for myself though, when I say I never really got that until now." he said hanging his head low. Matthew put a hand on his shoulder.

"Oy, don't sound so down! Last I checked you were the backup for when I can't make everyone smile." He said cheerily but calmly. Wil couldn't help but smile in response.

Lucius cleared his throat slightly. "I think today was enlightening for all of us. We now have to be on the lookout for three different threats: the Ganelon Bandits, Lundgren's forces, and now the elite Black Fang."

"Exactly." Varric replied. "So I wanted to tell you all now: even if my decisions seem off at times, I'm afraid I have to ask you to have faith-"

"Done." Sain immediately said.

"I'll follow your lead." Kent followed up.

"Without question." Erk replied.

"What you say goes, boss." Dorcas continued.

"I admit, you have a spotless record so far!" Serra chimed in.

"...You lead, I'll follow." Rath finished.

Varric looked at the legion, stunned by the sudden response. Florina placed a hand on his shoulder. "Varric...You still don't understand." She began. "You worry we don't believe in you, you think that you don't mean as much to the team….You couldn't be more wrong." She said quietly but firmly. The entire group nodded in agreement.

Lyn finally spoke. "Varric, you have my full faith, and I want to believe the same goes for the rest of us. You've always had my trust, even if I didn't always make that clear enough."

Varric sat awed. "Guys…." to everyone's surprise, varric buried his face in his sleeve, tears streaming down his face. After a couple of minutes he removed his face, and looked at the group with red eyes. "...thank you."

Two figures approached the group; Nils and Ninian were there.

"Excuse me…" Ninian began. "We want to speak to you all."

"Y-yeah?" Varric said as he regained composure. "What's up?"

Nils was clutching his instrument, Ninian her ring. Both items seemed to comfort the two. "We think maybe...it'd be best if we-"

"You aren't getting rid of us." Varric interrupted. "We aren't letting you two out of our sight until we know you're safe from further pursuit, so don't try and tell us you're putting us in danger, cause we're already in danger. Isn't that right guys?" He said as he turned to the group, many of whom smiled reassuringly. The siblings were speechless, before the same two words escaped both of them.

"Thank you!"

* * *

Everyone was asleep save three people, who sat around a dwindling campfire.

"Varric, why did you pretend to know my brother?" Ninian asked after a long silence. Varric sighed.

"Yeah, I should explain a few things. I guess you could say I'm like you two."

"You mean our foresight?" Nils asked. Varric nodded.

"I could tell I'd need you guys' abilities if possible, and even then I knew we needed to act quickly to get to Ninian. I couldn't afford to waste time convincing the others to trust Nils." Varric scratched his head. "Can't believe I actually pulled it off though…"

Nils looked to his sister. "Sis…"

Ninian nodded before turning to Varric. "You know about us, but you didn't let them take us back. Even if we don't know your motivation, you have our gratitude."

Varric smiled reassuringly. "As long as I'm around, nothing's gonna happen to either of you." " _I'll be damned if you meet the same fate as in game…"_ Varric added in his mind.

* * *

 **A/N: And thus three more seeds are sown! How's Varric gonna change yet another fate? How and why would I give him a tome if the tactician is anything but a fighter? What was the third item they found? I guarantee at least ONE answer next chapter! And possibly a second answer sometime before 2019, because writing chapters from the ground up is as difficult as I remember.**


	13. Interval 4: Is this Wish Fulfillment?

**A/N: And this will be the first of many times I shamelessly insert music I both love and think is fitting. Also sorry for the very short chapter, and sorry that I don't have the next chapter primed and ready to make up for that. I had a rude awakening when long story short, I had one of them "artistic visions" that resulted in me having to completely wipe the slate with chapters 8 in 9 (the in game chapters) and write them from scratch. Good news is they're almost finished once more. And the lundgren fight chapter is progressing nicely as well.**

 **Responses:**

 **Scorin: well yeah but he can just keep the extras in a pouch or something. Also funny you mention the summoner….nevermind, that's a LONG ways off. I cant tell if the question addresses me or Varric but it's the same either way: Save Scumming in moderation, and simply because "we" want to keep everyone alive. … That and there's serious BS like the colosseum fights and Karla recruitment/support. I play FE games for the characters first, challenge second, everything else third, figured It'd make it easier to write for Varric as someone who is from the real world if i just gave him similar priorities.**

 **And26169 and Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: I never thought I'd see in writing something like "I'm hooked [on your story]!" or similar. It brings me so much joy.**

 **DarkHero12: Update times are irrelevant to me, I just focus on the date of each update. Also the dreams are referential to other games in setting, while the actual discussions that go on within each dream are directly relevant to the story. I honestly would be surprised though if anyone knew what the second dream was a reference to.**

 **Guest: the summary says it's a Tactician x Lyn fic. The tactician is so vague that really you could pretty much do anything with him/her and it's just an "interpretation." Varric will certainly feel more like an OC post timeskip though, because I'm gonna have him do a whole lot more than just give orders. I honestly don't care what you wanna call Varric, but aside from writing this story, I also co write both on and off of this site with An1meG33K. The characters I use in those stories, THOSE are what I consider OCs. Varric is more like an expansion of the Tactician character. I know what I just said is incredibly dumb and I could've just said "yes, check the description of the story" in response, but I legit consider what Varric is and a proper OC to be two very different things.**

 **Adamminh123: Oh, don't you worry, Varric will have plenty of opposition….mwahahahaha…..oh man I can't wait for post timeskip.**

* * *

"VARRIC! Keep up or we really ARE gonna leave you behind!" Wil called over his shoulder. Varric looked up and quickly sprinted to close the gap between him and the rest of the group.

"Why does the boss keep falling behind like that?" Dorcas asked as he turned around to see what the commotion was. Matthew slid on up.

"Have you not been paying attention at all? He's been fiddling with that weird lyre ever since we found it looting that Fang hideout." He answered.

"He does seem to be awfully...focused." Lucius said tactfully.

"More like obsessed." Serra said less tactfully.

"It does seem to be a rare find, I've never seen a lyre like that in all my travels." Erk remarked.

"It's not a lyre, guys." Varric cut in as he caught up. "It's a guitar harp, and yes it's rare. I never in a million years thought I'd see one away from home."

"Where DO you live?" Wil asked.

"Nowhere. Everywhere." Varric replied.

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT?!" Rath exclaimed in a burst of emotion.

"1. Because it's technically true. 2. Because it's a very long story that I promise I'll tell you all eventually. 3. And most importantly, because that answer seems to be the only way I get to see you emote." Varric listed off as he continued tuning the instrument.

"And I thought I had nimble fingers, you sure work smoothly." Matthew commented. "Ever tried your hand at lockpicking?"

Varric ignored the remark. Erk spoke up "I admittedly AM curious about this hidden talent of yours. You've nearly restored that broken object to working condition overnight."

Realization dawned on Varric. "Oh, that's right, you guys weren't there…"

"Weren't where?" Lucius responded.

"Oh, you guys missed song night!" Wil exclaimed. "Varric we gotta do that again once this is all over for the rest of them to hear!"

Varric looked up from his work, a bit shocked. "You...really enjoyed it that much?" He smiled wide when Wil nodded.

"Missed WHAT?!" Serra yelled, snapping the two to attention.

"When we first met Dorcas, that night Varric sang a bard's song, using nothing but his knife and voice and a stone. It was a haunting melody."

"So a ghost story in song form?" Matthew simplified.

"Yeah, in a way." Sain commented over his shoulder, for once not dominating the conversation.

"It's done!" Varric exclaimed, and strummed the guitar harp striking a perfectly tuned chord.

Lyn turned around at the sound. "Hm? ...you know Varric, you really do look like a proper musician right now!

Nils slid off of Kent's horse to run over to Varric. "Cool! How'd you fix it so fast?!"

"Like I said, I see these kinds of instruments all the time back home. We also have flutes that fit in the palm of your hand, and instruments that turn lightning into music."

Nils was starry eyed, and Ninian smiled at his expression.

"Let's take a break for now!" Kent announced as they reached a major crossroads.

"Good idea." Lyn agreed. "I must admit, I'm rather curious what song Varric has planned for us."

Varric flushed a little. "Well, I wasn't sure if you guys wanted to hear one-" at that moment he nearly fell back from several encouragements to start playing.

* * *

Varric stood slightly elevated from the rest. "Alright then, I'm pretty rusty but this is Wake the White Wolf. It's a tale a hunter of mystical beasts of all kinds. This is based on the tale of Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf." There was a strum to cue silence, before Varric began to strum along to a melody.

" _Torches of war under hatred's sails  
A whisper of doom on a wary breeze…  
_ _Scorching the shores in a blazing trail  
_ _Cinder and fume foul the air we breathe…_ "

* * *

 **A/N: Just a heads up before anyone says it's not possible, yes the songs I will choose ARE possible to play on whatever instrument is used. I've gone to a LOT of trouble to scout out covers on the songs I plan on using to make sure they can physically be played well on respective instruments. I'd link the covers I found but Fanfic doesnt let you do that.**

 **Songs in this chapter: Wake the White Wolf, by Miracle of Sound**


	14. Chapter 8: Blood Kain Knight

**A/N: Ugh, went through some real trials and tribulations to get this one done, but at last I finished it!**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Ringlord7: Glad to know the dreams are interesting so far, they're probably the hardest parts so far, not because it's actually hard to come up with them, but rather because they're more than a bit meta and my options are either nail it or mess it up completely. As for my action, I'm glad what I've been able to get that right as well; it gets progressively harder to know what to show and what to simply detail in Varric's planning.**

 **JP I'm Italian: Ursula didn't appear because she's long gone by the time the legion ever actually gets to the Fang hideout. She was there just like she was in game, but again by the time the Legion got in she was far from the place. No, Varric will not be a Robin. For a proper battle tactician I refer you to, you guessed it, Rekka No Ken Retold. Personally I think it nails the balance between battle prowess and tactical help with the tactician character. Varric won't be like that, Yes he'll be able to defend himself and even eventually fight, but he'll be a support combatant rather than a direct combatant. At least, that's the plan as of writing this, but my plans DO have a bad habit of changing drastically in short periods of time…**

 **Like before your writing suggestions are appreciated, but don't forget that I usually have at LEAST the next 3 chapters written or already fully mapped out before I ever publish a chapter. Just an explanation for why in a paticular instance like this, most of your suggestions can't be effectively integrated without straight up switching to something different than what I have planned already.**

 **My FEH number and name is on my profile.**

 **Scorin: that...actually rolls of the tongue quite nicely. And i hope this chapter gives you a fill of action, most of the Yogi fight was improvised as I went along and then I came up with reasoning afterwards.**

Another day, another trek, but this time there was one thing that kept everyone in a good mood: the newfound appreciation for travelling entertainment. Varric sat on the back of Huey, Florina's Pegasus. As the mystical beast flew just off the ground and thus didn't bounce at all, Varric played his newfound instrument and whistled, allowing the wind to carry the melody across the entire group. Many had become so enraptured by it they'd already forgotten the first few humiliating failed attempts of Varric keeping his balance as he played.

Of course, the group was not without conversation. Wil nudged matthew. "Who'd have thought Varric had this kind of talent? I mean when the guy said he wanted to be a musician I didn't think he was THIS serious about it…"

Matthew laughed. "Uh, were you not there for that wolf performance? That should've made it clear enough he's devoted to this stuff. I know _passion,_ I am an EXPERT on _passion_ , and this man has a _passion_ for music! _Passion_ is-"

"If you say passion one more time, I'm gonna clock you." Serra huffed, long since having tired of Matthew's ability to ramble even more than herself.

"I agree with the Siren." Rath concurred. Serra glared daggers at him in silent retort.

"Now, now, let's not quarrel…" Lucius said hurriedly, hoping to pacify the situation for the 7th time that day.

"What'd he say this song is?" Wil asked to no one in particular.

Lyn turned her head briefly. "Wind of Change, how could you already forget?"

Wil shrugged, not even embarrassed.

"What do you think of this, Dorcas?" Erk asked, barely looking up at the comrade next to him.

"Well, I'd say I expected as much."

"And why's that?"

"Because of that performance he gave the group when I first joined them. And the telltale sign is still visible: whenever he starts makin music, he goes into a trance."

"You mean he's using magic?" Serra interjected, having moved away from the other side of the group. Erk rolled his eyes.

"No, you imbecile. He means Varric is extremely focused." Erk scoffed.

"Honestly I almost believe it's magic." Dorcas said to both their surprise. "He's a tactician, but the way he plays and sings, it's like he's rehearsed every piece a thousand times."

"...are YOU a music fanatic Dorcas?" Erk asked.

"Yeah, cause you really sound like one." Serra added.

Dorcas scratched the back of his head. "Eh, where I live there's a sort of Bard Communion. Lots of em pass through, stay a day or two and leave. Over time I just learned to tell the difference between the good and the half-assed ones."

Lyn was humming along to the chorus when she felt someone nudge her. She looked to her left to see Sain next to her. "Oh, um...how long were you-"

"3 minutes M'Lady." Sain said holding back a snicker.

Lyn flushed slightly. "I apologize..." she trailed off.

Sain couldn't quite hold back a chuckle this time, and quickly cleared his throat after one escaped. "Lady Lyndis, I just thought you should know, we're only about two days away at this point!" Sain cheered. At that the music stopped and Varric slid off one side of Huey, landing on the ground slightly in front of the group, his instrument over his back via a makeshift sash. He gazed behind the group.

"...Sure have come a long way, huh?" He said simply. Lyn followed his gaze.

"The mountains are so far now, aren't they…"

"Danger!" Nils suddenly exclaimed from the front of the group. Varric tensed.

" _Normally this is the part where Ninian tells Lyn not to move, but…"_ he thought, and let his bag fall to the ground.

Lyn looked puzzled. "D-danger?"

"What're you talkin about?" Matthew said after a brief silence. "There's nothing-" he was interrupted by a shriek from Ninian.

"MOVE!" she cried. Before Lyn could even react, Varric acted and (as gently as he could) tackled her from where she stood. Split seconds later a massive bolt landed where she had been standing.

"Wh-where….how…" Lyn said trying to catch her breath as she simply stared from where she lay at the bolt.

"A ballista?!" Kent exclaimed in disbelief. Dorcas easily lifted both Lyn and Varric to their feet.

"Nice work, Boss." Dorcas said casually.

"Y-Yes, thank you Varric." Lyn said, finally catching her breath

Nils ran over. "Lyn! Are you alright…?"

Lyn regained her composure. "I'm fine, thank you for warning us."

Nils sighed in relief and smiled at her thanks.

"Lundgren is finally taking this seriously." Sain jeered.

"Deploying siege weapons is no small feat…" Kent murmured.

"No worries!" Sain said in realization. "We can take it for ourselves! Right Wil?" he said slapping the archer on the back.

"Wait, What?!" Wil exclaimed. "I-I mean, i guess it's just a really big bow-"

"Not worth it." Varric interrupted, and the group turned to him puzzled.

"But, a siege weapon would make this battle swift." Kent began.

"No, not really. Notice how they haven't fired again? They're conserving ammo. They probably only have a handful of shots. By the time we can acquire it we'd only have a couple left for ourselves." Varric reasoned. "We're better off just taking out the person manning it and breaking the thing."

"If you say so." Wil said with a sigh of relief.

Varric put a hand to his chin and began summarizing the situation. " _I can't have Florina fly up to scout around, she'd be a giant bullseye. But I think I remember pretty much how this area looked. Ballista to the southeast, town to the east, to the far south enemies with reaver weapons to deal with. But what's not like the game is that ballista. I can't just send out a distraction to tank hits, anyone short of someone built like Wallace would be impaled...and right about now Matthew should-"_ his thoughts were interrupted by the thief in question.

"Vaaariiic, Lady Lyndis!" he sad bounding over chipperly. "I hate to trouble you, but i have some….business, to attend to nearby. I don't think my absence will matter much, right?"

"Actually-" Lyn began, but Matthew immediately cut her off.

"Excellent! Knew you'd understand, see ya later then!" he cried before dashing off.

"...well, there goes our fastest runner." Varric sighed.

"He is a troublesome, unreliable one. Why did you hire him?" Rath said critically.

"Well let's see, he did save us all with that armorslayer, thus letting us help you and your men-" Varric began with extreme snark. Rath held up a hand.

"Enough. You've made your point." he said flatly with slight irritation.

"Glad you spoke up though rath!" Varric said with mock cheer. "Cause you'll be the one headed for the ballista."

"What makes me qualified?"

"Well, you're a sacaen nomad, and you regularly fight atop a horse. You're by far the most adept at riding ballista won't be able to aim fast enough to hit you."

"I see. but should there be multiple foes-"

"There aren't!" Nils chipped in. "At least, not at that spot…."

Varric turned to Rath. "And there you have it."

After a moment's contemplation, Rath silently nodded and sped off, faster than any of the group had seen him ride. Kent and Sain were awed as every bolt launched at Rath landed nowhere near him.

"Just as I figured, the guy's practically a comanche." Varric thought aloud.

"'Co-man-che?'" Sain repeated. Varric brushed him off.

"Never mind. While he's taking care of that let's keep focus on the plan."

"Kent and Sain, you two stay behind and protect Ninian. Nils, you take to the skies with Florina. I want you two to only descend if you see someone in dire need of Nils's help."

"Boss, i could protect Ninian." Dorcas began. "That way both of those two can lead the charge-"

"No." Varric said sharply. No one could figure out what triggered the retaliation, but varric went on before anyone could ask. "Erk, Lucius, there's a village to the east. You two are in charge of securing it. Once that's been done, Kent and Sain will bring Ninian there and you all will wait things out, protecting the town from any further harm."

"You're always so sure something bad will happen to these towns should we not step in." Kent remarked. "Is there any foundation for such thinking, or is it your instinct as usual?"

"...bandits are vultures. They strike when their target is weakened or exposed. I've seen bandits completely destroy villages because no one was protecting it during a battle. I am NEVER letting that happen on my watch."

Lyn nodded. "I don't ever want my victories to come at the expense of innocents."

"Exactly." Varric concurred. "Everyone else available, we wait for Rath to return and then set out south to the rest of the enemies."

Dorcas jumped back as an off looking sword came close to landing a hit. " _There must be some truth to the boss's speak of having the same power as the siblings, he wouldn't have any other way of knowing we'd be up against reaver weapons."_ he thought as he retaliated with a quick and brutal hack that send his opponent to the ground.

Varric weaved in and out of the fighting, trying to contribute in what little ways he could mid combat, but the opposing forces were gradually pushing the group back. " _Why are there so many of them?! Don't tell me in this world the reinforcements actually came for them…I don't have any choice. Sorry you two…"_ He pulled back to the very edge of the fighting and put two pairs of fingers to his mouth before letting out a piercing whistle.

"Rath, we leave Ninian to you!" Kent cried as he rode off.

"Varric gave the signal, so he expects you to not let him down, got it?! Protect her like a true knight!" Sain called in tow as he rode off alongside the red knight.

"...Varric didn't want those two to enter combat if necessary, I already can guess why…." Rath muttered as he looked at a Caelin insignia on a fallen soldier's helmet.

Sain and Kent lead the charge easily mopping up a large number of soldiers as the two rode covering each other without fail. Soon a more heavyset man than other soldiers stepped forth. "HAH! Look who finally showed up…"

Kent and Sain dropped from their horses and stood at one end of a bridge. "Yogi!" Kent cried. "What are you doing serving a traitor like Lundgren?!"

Yogi scoffed. "That's rich coming from you two! You call me a traitor while you raise your sword against Caelin's soldiers?"

Sain's glared daggers. "Only after they raise their weapons against Caelin's heir!"

"Ah yes, the false heir we were told about." Yogi mocked. "You-"

Before Yogi could continue Kent stepped forward, "On what grounds do you accuse her of such?!"

At this point every remaining enemy was across the bridge, Varric caught up to the group. As Kent and Yogi argued back and forth in circles, each one baiting the other. "Guys, what are you waiting for?!"

Lyn remained silent, instead it was Lucius who spoke up. "We've been fighting Caelin soldiers, this is our chance to find out why."

" _This is another one of these things that can't be avoided, isn't it?"_ Varric thought as he resigned to fate, although his anxiety was evident.

"ENOUGH!" Yogi yelled as his patience snapped. "I WILL NOT ARGUE WITH TRAITORS TO CAELIN AS IF THEY WERE EQUAL!" with those words Kent looked like he'd been stabbed for a moment before quickly recovering; Sain wasn't deterred in the least.

"Hah, traitors? That's rich!" Sain spat as he drew his sword. "You've made your stance clear! Leave or fall you Lundgren serving scum!"

As Sain stepped forward, Yogi did the same in response and he raised his weapon. "None of you will make it past me."

Kent started to ready his weapon, but Sain held out a hand. "Don't dirty your hands, Kent." Sain said with surprising venom in his voice as he never once stopped glaring at Yogi.

"What's gotten into Sain?" Serra asked to no avail.

" _Was it like this in-game? Is it just different because I'm actually watching?"_ Varric wondered.

"It seems we've found what pushes Sain too far." A certain finally answered. Several turned to see Rath with Ninian behind them. Before anyone could ask Rath answered, "You seem to have things under control, I thought it best to move Ninian closer to the group rather than remain too far back."

"This IS our first encounter with soldiers who've directly turned against Caelin." Wil pointed out.

Both sides remained at their respective end of the bridge, save one man from each group as they slowly approached each other. "I'm no barbarian, and you must still know the code of conduct." Yogi said condescendingly. Sain barely nodded.

"One man from each side determines the victor." he declared grimly.

Yogi struck first, his weapon an oddly fashioned lance. Sain gripped his Silver blade and rather than block, swung into the blow with such force it cracked the lance's hilt and nearly sent the weapon flying out of Yogi's hand. As his opponent recoiled Sain rushed forward and struck Yogi's shoulder; the blade didn't break through the knight's pauldron but managed to leave it barely attached. Almost seamlessly, Sain transitioned into bringing his blade back immediately after swinging ads he slammed his hilt into Yogi's face, sending him back dazed and swinging blindly, forcing Sain back but missing by a mile.

Everyone save Kent was stunned. Lyn was clearly taking note of Sain's sudden new swordsmanship. "Rather than wait to properly ready his blade again, he went for a blunt attack that could act as an immediate follow up…"

"Wh-where did THIS come from?!" Varric exclaimed as he struggled to find his voice. He looked instinctively to Kent, only to realize the Red knight's expression was grim.

"...The last time I saw him like this was when he was learning these moves from Wallace…" Kent murmured just loud enough for Varric to catch.

"YOU RAT!" Yogi yelled as he took another swing, but his positioning made it clear he'd been forced onto the defensive. Sain didn't even respond, in a growl of anger he lashed forward with more aggression incomparable to his typical fighting. He struck blow after blow completely unrelenting.

Dorcas looked to Kent, "What's gotten into him?" When met with no response, Varric put a hand on Kent's shoulder; he jumped slightly as if only just now remembering he wasn't alone.

"It's...a style of combat he learned from one of our mentors. I've never seen him use it, though, I'd assumed he'd stopped planning to ever use it in real combat…"

"I think he thought so as well." Lyn remarked. "Even for an aggressive style, his movement are completely unpolished and full of openings-" any conversation came to a halt as Sain's exhaustion caught up and Yogi took his chances. Sain let out a cry of pain as the side spikes of Yogi's axereaver pierced his abdomen. Sain stumbled back clutching his side with one hand.

"SAIN!" Kent yelled as he already was bolting across the bridge. Lyn and Serra followed as Varric mentally prepared himself for another self mutilation. "

"In the name of Lord Lundgren, and the honor of Caelin, you shall die here!" Yogi cried as he raised his weapon once more before bringing it down

"SHUT UP!" Sain screamed, and there was a harsh screech of metal snapping as Yogi found himself holding only a broken hilt; instinctively he held it up to guard. Sain pounced on the mistake, and Yogi's eyes went wide as the silver blade pierced clean through his throat and he tried in vain to gasp for air before choking on blood, one final hack leaving a bloodstain on Sain's face.

Kent rushed over to his companion to help him over to Serra, while those who were still observing from both sides did so in dead silence. No one even noticed Varric had stumbled back, eyes and mouth agape.

Serra sighed as she finished up with Sain. "Honestly, if I didn't have an emergency Mend staff who knows how much of a bad shape you'd be left in."

"...Sorry." Sain said curtly.

"What, that's it?" Serra huffed as the glow from her staff faded. "The least you could do is properly thank me like you usually do!"

"That's flirting you idiot…" Erk muttered off to the side.

"Varric." a voice called and Varric jolted to attention. Kent approached the tactician. "You seemed a bit shook up after the battle…I presume it was Sain's display."

Varric hesitated before nodding. "Y-yeah. I just...I never thought I'd see Sain act or fight like that."

Kent sat next to the tactician. "It's a style of fighting he learned personally from Caelin's top general, Lord Wallace. I still see him practice it in secret, but never before now have I seen him resort to it in actual combat…"

Varric remained quiet. " _Wallace….I figured he was a brutal fighter, but there's nothing like this in- what am I saying? Of course there isn't, all I ever saw was a bunch of pixels._ "

"Varric!" Kent said louder, and Varric jolted.

"S-Sorry!" he quickly managed. Kent raised an eyebrow.

"You've been out of it since Sain's display. I understand it was out of character for him, but you're acting like someone who's never even been on the battlefield. I find it especially odd since YOU were the one who taught the group about that 'Brutalizing' tactic."

Varric remained quiet, but as Kent opened his mouth again he was interrupted. "I've never seen that used myself." Varric said with guilt in his voice. "Even during that fight, I looked away from the carnage...and whenever we've fought, it's always been quick and 'clean' as one would put it. But it's never been gruesome until this point. Up until now it's always been bandits and outlaws, people who had it coming to them; these were soldiers…even if they're serving Lundgren, he's probably feeding them lies. These people at least originally set out with the intention to protect their home."

Kent put a hand on Varric's shoulder. "Sometimes you have to dirty your hands for the greater good. Sometimes you have to do things you'd rather not to succeed, and believe me, the last thing Sain and I want is to be fighting our once comrades."

" _That's right, Sain and Kent for all I know recognized more than just Yogi when they were fighting…"_ "...wait, when did I say anything like that?" Varric questioned in confusion.

"You never said that vocally, but your actions showed that. Little things like when you instructed Matthew to raid Araphen's vaults, or to bring it up once more there was the Brutality incident. Lastly, there's the obvious looting. You were the one who came up with these things even though most of us didn't necessarily agree with those tactics. All of them have proved invaluable, however, in keeping everyone as safe as possible from harm. We were able to afford silver weapons and more powerful healing magic, we drove off an onslaught of bandits by crippling their coordination, and we only managed to defeat Lundgren's men at Araphen because of the weaponry matthew found." Kent stood up and offered a hand.

Varric took it as he felt himself a little more at ease. "...Thank you, Kent."

"So this is where you two were!" Sain said as he approached the two, his wounds already patched up. "What were you two talking about? Or is did I finally overstep things and Kent made you his new friend in green?" Sain chuckled, but it was just off enough for Varric to notice.

"We…" he began before trailing off. "...We were just reminiscing. And making your funeral arrangements." Varric jabbed. At the sign of good humor, Sain's poorly hidden anxiety disappeared.

"Hey! I haven't kicked the bucket yet, and I don't plan on doing so anytime soon!" He countered.

Kent chuckled. "Like I've said many times, your idiocy will be the death of you. So what were you looking for us for?"

"Matthew's back." Sain quickly replied. "He says he's got some very important news to share, and from the tone of his voice it wasn't good."

" _That's an understatement."_ Varric thought before running ahead of the two knights.

"H-Hey!" Sain called out before he and Kent followed suit.

-'

 **A/N: This may seem an abrupt place to end it off, but I feel pretty sure there isn't much left I could do with this chapter except rip some dialogue straight from the game as Matthew briefs the group about Lundgren's lies. Plus there's a quick follow up 8.5 chapter that will put things into context. I had to completely rewrite this chapter not once but TWICE, and almost did so a third time out of fear I made Sain too close to a Blood Knight and deviated too much from the actual character, but I found a way to bookend things within the chapter. In the end, I'm REALLY happy with how this chapter turned out; out of all the characters the two I'm trying to elaborate most on are Kent and Sain and their relationship with the tactician. As always, reviews are very appreciated, and prepare for another song next chapter!**


	15. Interval 5: Violence Fades, Music Sows

**A/N: and now for one of my favorite tunes! Also you can fill in the blanks between the end of last chapter and start of this.**

 **Review Responses:**

 **.rento: two things, one if you now want to get into the game, then i have succeeded in my endeavors! Second, this story is actually directed at people who have already played the game, so to get that kind of praise from someone who isn't even my target audience is beyond inspiring, thank you!**

 **Guest: you answered your own question, Sain took initiative and what followed was a brutal spectacle.**

 **Ringlord7: Humanizing the enemy soldiers is half the fun! Bandits are bandits, but when I get to actual people like Linus and Lloyd, I'm gonna have a field day. I already have plans for them and Ursula.**

* * *

The air was heavy over the group as they traveled to Kathleet. Some of the group had expected something like their current situation, while others were still in disbelief. Lyn remained unbroken, in fact learning of Lundgren's poisoning had only hardened her determination, but the same could not be said of the the two knights, who had taken the branding of false prophets hardest of all.

Varric had been tuning his instrument for a while, and finally Sain uncharastically snapped at him. "Would you be quiet?! Some of us aren't in the mood!"

Varric completely dismissed the harsh remark. "Oh please, you need to get over what's nagging at you."

"V-Varric!" Lyn interjected, disbelieving. "They're-"

"No….he's right…" Kent muttered, his normally upright head held low. "It's our own fault, we failed, and this has happened."

"You need to get over it too." Varric snapped, before strumming his instrument to see if it was tuned right. Florina looked over her shoulder.

"V-Varric, I know you aren't a knight, but as one I know how hard it must be for them…" She muttered. Even her compassion didn't seem to make the normally flirtatious Sain anymore chipper.

Varric spoke more softly as he addressed Florina. "I know, but It's no excuse for how they're acting. We can't have this kind of morale and expect to win any battles." with that, he began playing a song. Unlike before, the group's spirits didn't immediately lift.

"I SAID we are NOT in the mood!" Sain snapped again.

Varric didn't even open his eyes. "Don't care." He said dismissively. Off to the side, Serra huffed.

"What is your deal?! Those poor two have lost their status, their livelihood! And you're acting like they just got papercuts or something-" she stopped short when Lucius put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm afraid I must side with Varric in this matter."

"What?!" She screeched as she typically did, forcing Matthew and Erk to shield their ears.

Lucius simply nodded to Varric, who by this time had reached the main melody. "His words are harsh, his intentions are not." he assured.

Varric played as he began speaking once more. "You two are just justifying your loss of status as knights."

At that both of them stopped moving forward, and Sain turned viciously. "WHAT?!"

"I mean you never did anything wrong to begin with. How bad does your morale have to be for you to act like this just because someone 'official' claims you two are traitors? What do you think Lyn?"

On her cue the green haired warrior stepped up to them. "You two found me and gave me a new calling after I lost everything. You have proven time and again you're willing to lay down your lives for me. I don't care what anyone else claims of you, you two are beyond honorable."

Sain's expression went from rage to shock in an instant, and for once Kent looked ready to cry.

"You guys are the real knights, not the people who blindly follow Lundgren. Can't believe you can't figure that out on your own." Varric 'thought aloud.' from the side Rath judged them.

" _He uses harsh words and realities to fill people with sense and determination….good skills for one of his profession."_ he thought. Thinking the same thing, Dorcas turned his head upward slightly to glance at the nomad.

"He sure is full of surprises, ain't he?"

Rath ever so slightly nodded. "We can agree on that much."

After the two knights had calmed, the group began to move forward once more.

"...Varric, you mind singing?" Sain asked awkwardly. The tactician smiled wide.

"Thought you'd never ask." he cleared his throat and began to recite.

" _Honor for all of the big and the small  
Well the taller they stand well the harder they fall…"_

* * *

 **A/N: Song number 2 is Honor For All from Dishonored. Again I can't link things because stupid reasons, but if you A. don't know the song or B. Can't picture it being played acoustically since there ARE a good deal of digital effects in the main version, the composers uploaded to Youtube an acoustic rendition and it's pretty easy to figure out which parts Varric could play on his own while singing. Seriously not only was the song a perfect fit for the scenario, I couldn't pass up the chance to show off the song because it's just so good. ...Yeah I went on a kinda irrelevant tangent but there's not much else to talk about in this A/N. We're almost at the end of Lyn's story, just Wallace's chapter, "maybe" an interval after that, and Lundgren's chapter. Of course the epilogue to Lyn's story will be it's own chapter OH BOY DO I HAVE PLANS FOR THAT, but I won't divulge too much...**


	16. Chapter 9: An Even Grimmer Reunion

**A/N: 100+ FOLLOWS! *Party popper* Let's celebrate with an early next chapter!**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Brilliant Anon: There isn't gonna be much to actually discuss about events during the timeskip, but things certainly will happen during it. But again, what happens during the timeskip will be shown through the changes characters undergo compared to how they are pre-timeskip, not through directly telling the events during the timeskip. I've...never heard of immortal sword, and kinda already have a set plan. And yeah i'm gonna completely avoid OCs if possible.**

 **Ringlord7: no prob! And my main goal is to develop EVERY character, even ones as late in the game as Karla will get some decent development if I can help it.**

 **QuilavaMan89: The amount of wasted potential with the two fang bros actually hurts me, and FEH showed us there's WAY more character to Ursula than what was shown in FE7, hence why I already have plans for them.**

* * *

"What do you mean 'anchored'?" Varric repeated to the disembodied voice.

"You used the dagger." Naga said calmly. "In manipulating this world's flow of time, you have become more tightly bound to it."

Varric quickly grew more concerned. "I don't like the sound of that… so what happens if i were to try and head home now?"

"I do not know. But I do know this: I was able to grant you that dagger, and you are able to use it, because of how loose and flowing your connection to this world is. The more that connection anchors itself and becomes rigid, the more power it will take for you to reawaken the dagger. just one use has doubled-"

Varric rolled his eyes. "Look i know you're divine and all, but you could just say 'get more shards.'"

"To say that would undermine the significance of this. Without the power of something such as a Time Gate, a normal resident of this world is unable to traverse worlds even by divine intervention." Naga warned.

"So?"

"...even if they aren't originally a resident of said world." She added gravely. "What's more each time your wounds will become more dire in order to turn back time."

"...oh." Varric said quietly. "So...is that why im here again? Just to know this?"

"One more thing: you are not the only one who utilizes the shards."

"WHAT?" Varric jumped. "So others have time manipulation?!"

"No, you do not need to fear that possibility. You are the only one with that dagger, however others use the shards in ways they were never meant to be used."

"Then what do I-"

"You will know." Naga assured. "I have said all I wish, you must go now."

With a flash of light Varric was gone as quickly as he had appeared, sleeping back at camp.

* * *

"It's official." Eliwood reported. "Laus, Tuscana, Kathelet, Tania, and Santaruz will not interfere in Caelin's affairs."

Varric let out a sigh of relief, and Lyn bowed her head. "Eliwood, I don't know how to thank you…"

Eliwood held up a hand to stop her. "All I've done is convince them to remain neutral. What's more, this means I cannot aid you further either. I'm sorry…" the lord said looking down sadly.

"You've done plenty to help." Varric jumped in. "We can handle it from here, no problem."

Lyn nodded in agreement. "I _will_ win. It's not a choice." she said with determination in her eyes.

Eliwood smiled. "While I cannot help you as an ally, as a friend I pray for your success."

"I swear to you, I will not waste this opportunity!" Lyn vowed.

"Alright everyone, let's make haste!" Lyn called as everyone rallied. Multiple eyes were cast at the sky.

* * *

"A fog will roll in soon." Matthew said matter-of-factly.

"That will prove trouble…" Kent said. "Fog is heavy in these lands, visibility will be sharply reduced."

"It was bound to happen eventually." Varric dismissed. A couple glanced at him for his word choice. "...what? I know how weather works, you can't go forever without running into rain or snow or fog."

"Allow me to scout ahead." Matthew volunteered. "We...thieves, if you MUST, aren't troubled by fog."

Varric simply nodded. "Alright everyone, take 10 while matthew scouts a bit."

* * *

"So, the only way through is past one of Caelin's top soldiers?" Lyn summarized.

"Yes." Kent affirmed. "General Eagler's estate is the way we must go. He was mentor to both me and Sain…"

"Well, let's pray it doesn't come down to fighting him."

Sain laughed. "Eagler is a man of honor and reason, he wouldn't betray the marquess no matter what lies Lundgren fed him!"

"Speaking of Reason, where's Varric?" Lyn said as she realized the group was short one tactician.

"AHAHAHAH! I like your style boy!" a boisterous voice bellowed with laughter.

"AAAAAH!" Sain screamed and hid behind kent. Both their faces were pale. "Th-That voice…"

Varric walked up to the group followed by a behemoth of a man in almost regal silver armor, decked with merits of all kinds. "Hey guys! I made another friend!"

The bald man, middle aged at least, grinned wide. Sain and Kent paled even more and were each on the verge of passing out.

"L-L-Lord…." Sain squeaked.

"Who?" Lyn asked, completely bewildered.

Kent gulped. "Lord Wallace...the former commander of the knights of Caelin…" At the mention of Wallace's name, most of the group involuntarily glanced in Sain's direction.

"Good to see you two as well." Wallace chuckled. "But I'm not here for pleasure. Lundgren ordered I come out of retirement and eliminate a pair of traitorous knights and a false heiress." with a slight adjustment of his neck there was rippling pop. "I'm guessing I've found my objective." with that he took a step towards lyn, and everyone readied their weapons save Lyn herself. Kent summoned his strength and stood between Lyn and Wallace.

"What….What do you intend to do?" Kent questioned.

"If I don't like what I see, she's coming with me." Wallace replied directly.

Sain seemed to partially snap out of it and stood by kent. "We'll not let let you!"

Wallace burst out laughing once more. "YOU think you can best ME? Have you two already forgot-"

"ENOUGH!" Lyn said, silencing all three. "I am Lyndis. What is it you want with me?" She said, stepping forward.

"So, you claim to be Madelyn's daughter." Wallace surmised.

"I'll understand if you don't believe me…" Lyn began, before her tone turned sharp. "But I've had enough of you and your posturing!"

"...you do indeed have beautiful eyes."

Lyn blinked. "P-Pardon?"

Wallace put a fist over his heart. "I've been a knight for 30 damn years. I've learned a few tricks. One thing is knowing who to trust based on eyes alone." he grinned. "No one with eyes as beautiful as yours, as beautiful as your mother's, is of impure heart."

Wallace put his hands to his hips and bellowed out a laugh at the confused expressions of everyone save Varric. "Hahahahah! I like you girl! And a deal's a deal, I'll join your little motley crew!"

"What deal?" Erk asked.

Wallace tilted his head towards Varric. "The green robed boy and I made a little wager. I lost, so I guess I'm indebted to you now! And I ALWAYS pay my debts!"

Varric smiled and clapped. "Great! Wallace, go around the group for introductions and familiarize yourself. We're still waiting on our scout to report back."

As the general made his way around the group, the two knights stared at Varric.

"How did you-?"

"Intuition strikes again?" Lyn interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"You know it!" Varric replied with a snicker.

Matthew returned bearing torches. "Alright guys, I'm back- What the hell did I miss?"

* * *

"Plan time! Wallace, there's a group of enemies to the north of us, all ripe for a beating-"

The general laughed "leave every single one of em to me! Anything else greenhorn?"

Varric shook his head. "No, but you may want a torch-"

"Right then I'm off!" with that Wallace sped off much faster than anyone expected, leaving a distant cry: "I'M FUCKIN INVINCIBLE!

Lyn put a finger to her chin. "He's certainly….direct. And honest. I like him!"

Kent nodded, seemingly unsurprised by Wallace's mannerisms. "He is a noble man, one who deserves respect."

"We'd all be dead if he was against us." Sain said ominously.

Varric and several others paled slightly at the thought. "A-Anyways, Serra, Dorcas, each of you take a torch. Erk, use fire to light your way, Lucius use your own light. Matthew will lead the charge since this fog is another day on the job for him. Following him will be kent and Sain. Dorcas will guard Nils and follow those two, then Rath, Lucius and Serra, followed by Wil Erk and Florina who will ride together."

"So we're just marching in there?" Wil said bewildered. "Aren't we just painting a bullseye?!"

"Our enemies lack our thief's skills." Rath replied. "They are as blind as us. Better to let them blunder about wasting energy fearing an attack from any angle."

Varric nodded. "Plus, we'll be navigating a thick forest. Best to find a single path and stick to it, when we're all together things may take longer, but we're also unstoppable. And we'll have plenty of time to spare with Wallace mopping up the entire northern area."

* * *

Varric's theory proved right; despite the time it took to reach Eagler's residence, no one had a single scratch with all angles being watched. As their destination came into view, everyone could feel Wallace approaching.

"Too easy. These aren't even Eagler's men." Wallace said with a scoff. "Just Lundgren's lackeys."

"...he's waiting for us." Lyn said as she came to a halt. The rest of the group followed her gaze to see a mounted swordsman waiting in an empty field, a large mansion in the background.

"Who among you is your leader? This tactician that has corrupted two of Caelin's finest young knights." Eagler asked with legitimate sorrow in his voice. Before Kent and Sain could retort, Varric put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"I'm the tactician. I didn't corrupt anyone. Eagler, I know you don't want this. And I know your harsh words are hollow. I don't know what Lundgren is using to manipulate you...or rather, WHO," Varric emphasized, "but we can help you."

There was a long silence as Eagler stared sadly at Varric. "...You speak with the conviction of someone who talks of more than rumor or speculation." Eagler finally responded. "If I were not so weak, perhaps things would not have come to this…"

"Let us help you!" Kent suddenly exclaimed. Sain was in tow.

"Yes, together we can-" Sain stopped short as he found himself staring at a raised blade. A faint, sickly green aura surrounded Eagler's armor.

"Enough talk. You two are traitors and this woman is an impostor." Eagler said without a hint of antagonism. "If you wish to die by my hand, so be it."

Wallace slowly made his way to the front of the group. "Eagler… Are you that dead set on throwing your life away? For a rotten bastard like Lundgren?"

Eagler stared for a long while. "...the things I've done...I could never face her again." He said quietly, before his gaze steeled.

Varric's fists clenched in rage and frustration. " _I still can't save him…_ "

"Stand back, boy." Wallace commanded. "That goes for the rest of you as well. This is something I'll be taking care of." His voice was grave, lacking the cheerfulness and bravado from before.

Without being told twice, everyone did as told. Wallace slowly walked forward until he and Eagler were opposite each other in the center of the clearing. Eagler readied his steel blade. "Forgive me, Wallace."

"For what?" Wallace countered. "You know you won't win." he spun his lance before taking a stance. "Now fight." he commanded.

Eagler did just that, and began charging at Wallace from horseback, taking a swing with each pass. Wallace ducked, blocked, and sidestepped until it became blatant that nothing was going to advance. "You should know better, Eagler!" Wallace chuckled. "I wouldn't be here if a horse was all it took to get the best of me!" With that, he braced his lance before blocking the next hit, and shoulder tackling the horse, easily knocking it over with Eagler barely avoiding getting his leg crushed. Most of the group was gaping.

"He just tackled the horse…"

"...knocked it over like it was nothing…"

" _Christ, the guy's a friggin Ox!"_ Varric awed.

Eagler stood and readied his sword. "Still bullheaded…" he muttered as began to rush Wallace.

"What's he doing?!" Sain exclaimed. "He's going after a lance with a sword, he should be defensive, shouldn't he?!"

"Y-yes, that's what he always trained us to do…" Kent said, just as bewildered.

A sickly green aura shone from Eagler's chestplate, and Varric recognized the type of glow. " _No way…"_

Wallace thrust his lance forward, only for Eagler to sidestep and begin swinging against Wallace's armor with his sword, steel of armor clanging over and over. Wallace was gradually forced back by a constant onslaught, with every one of his jabs having seemingly no effect.

"Varric…" Lyn whispered. "That glow-"

"Yeah." Varric cut off. "He must have something in his armor, I'm sure wallace has figured out something's up by now too."

* * *

The battle went on for seemingly an eternity, and Wallace had cuts on nearly every spot his armor didn't cover, yet was no worse for wear. His armor itself had been chipped away at and covered in scratches. He let out a morbid smile. "You've given in, Eagler." he said eyeing the fruits of his labor: a series of cracks stemming from Eagler's side. Then, Wallace committed a cardinal sing and began to to spin his lance, and himself as well turning his back to the enemy, to the cry of several people watching.

" _I get it… a gamble."_ Varric thought as Eagler pounced on the chance, but the moment his sword made contact with his target, the blade snapped like a twig, and eagler received 360 degrees of momentum to his side, the lance tip shattering his sideplate and piercing deep into his abdomen. The sheer force was enough to send Eagler flying back, unable to get up as blood flowed into a pool at his side.

"It's over." Varric declared without thought.

Eagler lay face up on the ground, blood oozing from him, his armor cracked. "...Tactician...Lyndis...come here." He uttered. Varric quickly came to his side along with Lyn. Eagler looked at Lyn. "Save the Marquese...he knows nothing of what goes on, his sickness is false….there is only poison-" Eagler began hacking before settling slightly, his chest heaving as he turned to Varric. "Lundgren's Power is not his own, you have not chance of beating him as he is…" He took his shattered blade, and jammed it into his chestplate. Out popped a shard that would be very familiar, if not for it's sickly green color. "You must find a way to remove these from him…" Eagler said increasingly weaker as he placed the shard in Varric's hand. Wallace walked over as Lyn and Varric were recovering from the shock of their respective revelations.

"You really are an old fool." Wallace said with a sad smile.

Eagler smiled weakly. "Yes, but age will eventually catch up to you as well."

Wallace's gaze steeled. "He has Chloe, doesn't he?" Eagler didn't respond, but Wallace didn't need a response. "I'll free her, I promise."

Eagler let out a sigh of relief as his body went limp. " _Thank you….and may you all succeed…"_

* * *

As the group moved on, Varric was still examining the sickly shard from the back of Kent's horse.

"Varric...what is that? What had it done to General Eagler?" Kent asked.

"What do you mean, 'what it did to him'?'" Lyn responded.

"He means that Eagler wasn't himself at all." Wallace said grimly. "The old fool was never that aggressive, he was always the type to let his opponent make the first move and analyze as he fought."

"But against you, he was charging in like a wild animal…" Sain muttered.

Wallace nodded. "To the point where his own weapon broke from overuse. The Eagler I know would never make that kind of mistake."

"Exactly…so that shard must have done something to him." Kent concluded.

A few more pieces fell into place in Varric's mind. "It's a corrupting power." He thought aloud. He had everyone's attention. "This shard must be some form of fell magic." immediately Erk and Lucius were on edge.

"How can you be sure of that?" Erk said warily.

"These blue shards of mine have a sort of divine magic. Meaning that if I…" he trailed off as he inserted the sickly green shard into his dagger. There was a flash and it became a lifeless blue with no glow to speak of.

"Uh…..what's Fell magic?" Wil asked, several others thankful he asked. Rather than one of the mages, however, it was Wallace who responded with gravity to his tone.

"Fell magic and divine magic are different than light and dark magic. Fell magic is forbidden, the use of it is a high level offense to the safety of the people."

"It dates back the the age of dragons, some say it IS the magic of the dragons that nearly laid waste to this world during the scourging." Erk detailed.

"Tha-that's enough!" Serra exclaimed.

"We really don't need to know more." Matthew agreed, uneased. Rath nodded in silence.

Lucius was the most on edge. "If Lundgren has access to Fell magic, this is a dire situation."

Varric smiled. "...actually, it might be his downfall." he prophesied as he looked at the now harmless shard in his hand.

* * *

 **A/N: And thus the plot thickens! Had to come up with SOME way to make the Lundgren fight actually be climactic, and a certain someone had already done the "super enchanted armor" idea, so i had to find a more directly relevant kind of enchanted super soldiers.**

 **ALSO an AWESOME piece of fan art of Lyn was just shared with me, and it has single handedly revolutionized what the story's final boss equivalent will be.**


	17. Interval 6: All In

**ScorinVoidseeker: Read Rekka No Ken Retold, great story, don't know if i've mentioned it before now. And i can't directly link images on this site, but if i can just put a link to copy paste into the search bar, i will the chapter the image becomes non spoilery.**

 **Harmless Orange: Yeah, I know what you mean. If I could find a way to bulk up chapters and slow transitions I would, but in short, compared to FE7's pacing I AM going slow. Fire Emblem is not a series with proper pacing if you beat levels quickly, believe me i know this firsthand. The game relies on you taking a long time to beat chapters and it therefore feeling like a good deal f time passes between incidents, but story wise it just jumps from point to point. Without adding a million intervals, I'm pretty much locked into doing the same thing. Again, It's not something I enjoy but without needless filler as far as I can tell it's pretty much my only option. I hope to drastically slow things down once the tiemskip hits. Also you arent imagining things, they go from Sacae to Caelin in the blink of an eye in game as well, you'd never guess they were in different freaking nations…the rest of the stuff I've already PM'd you about. Also I'll just say to you AND TO ANYONE ELSE READING: Do NOT read this expecting a dark or gritty take on things. I've thrown dignity out the window, there is gonna be alot of stuff i put in the story just because "i think it would be cool if X happened." I'm always gonna try and rationalize and justify what happens, but my priority is not realism or anything like that. If you want to see a darker take on the story, which I've seen done before and it's always interesting, literally read ANY other FE7 fanfic. I'm just gonna have as much fun with this as I can, and i hope you all can too; if you can't get into something that follows rule of cool and is written by a guy half planning things light years in advance and half making this up as he goes, I completely understand. I'll say this as many times as i need too, and don't mind how often i need to say it: I'm not trying to write the best possible story, I'm trying to write a good story and have as much fun with it as possible. I've tried writing stories before where i try to make every single thing line up and fall into place, and those stories all end up a clusterf#ck of over explanatory tangents KINDA LIKE THE ONE I'M ON RIGHT NOW-**

 **Clutchvm: MEMES ARE AN ACTUAL GENETIC THING! THEY'RE THE GENETICS OF CULTURE, THE IDEA OF INTERNET MEMES CAME AFTER THAT! Glad someone got the reference though, I honestly can't think of someone more fitting than Wallace for a Sundowner reference. The idea just popped into my head one day and I wasn't gonna pass up the chance!**

 **Enriks: that's exactly what i was trying to make you think of. Tell me it doesn't fit, i dare you.**

 **JP I'm Italian: Yes it is, and if you can somehow contact the writer tell him I will NEVER forget his story! It's what inspired me to take an interest in the idea of characterizing player characters like persona and fire emblem player character! And it's no prob, you dont need to review every chapter for me to know you're reading. Also, funny you mention Lyn and Varric not interacting enough...I guess I'll just preface this chapter with: their relationship isn't so much one about constant interaction as much as it is about the unshakable trust the two have in one another. In the game Lyn always made it pretty clear that she has complete faith in the Tactician, enough to put her lie in his/her hands without worry or hesitation. I think that speaks much louder than any interaction.**

 **Also as for the fanart, I'd PM you if i could to tell you about it, but i can't. And i can't say how to find it in public because that will completely give away what the super awesome thing i'm gonna write in is.**

* * *

In the dark of the night when all were asleep, Lyn felt a hand. She instinctively reached for her sword before noticed a luminescent cobalt blue scar on the hand. "Varric? What are you-" before she could continue Varric shushed her, and motioned her to follow him.

In complete silence, Varric led her to a nearby lake, the moonlight reflected off it. At last Varric turned to her, anxiety written across his face. "I needed to speak with you...alone."

Lyn grew concerned at the sight of him. "Varric, you look a wreck. Did something happen...?"

Varric took a deep breath. "It's time for me to tell you everything..."

The two sat by the water's edge. The moonlight illuminated the lake. After a long silence Lyn spoke. "So...you're not from this world. Whenever you refer to "home", you mean a different world."

Varric nodded slowly and looked away. "After all that, I don't blame you if you think I'm crazy."

"...I believe you."

Varric was shocked and stared speechless, trying to find his voice. "J-Just like that...?" He replied hopefully but skeptically at the same time.

Lyn smiled warmly, and varric felt himself go weaker. "You've only ever acted in our best interest..." she began, looking over the lake in contemplation as she spoke. "You also act and speak wildly different than anyone else. And in all honesty, i've wondered about your "sixth sense" this whole time. Its different than Nils and Ninian, you knew things far in advance."

"You never even said a word, but you could tell from the start..." varric concluded with sadness in his voice. A quick smile from Lyn dissipated that sadness as she continued.

"I never pressed the matter much because I didn't want to raise doubt among the others; I know you, you would never harm them. I guess you could say that's my own intuition." She said giggling a little, before turning back to stare Varric dead on. "But...why tell me now? If you were so uncertain as to whether I'd believe you, why didnt you wait until after our battle tomorrow and not risk planting doubt?"

"I had to tell you the truth...in case the worst happens tomorrow." Varric finally answered. "The longer I go without telling anyone about this, the more I feel like I'm gonna lose it any moment. It started unnoticeable, but as we get closer to Caelin, the feeling gets worse. I still don't know why I'm telling you, but it was like once I stopped planning ahead, once I stopped thinking 3 steps ahead, everything came crashing down and weighing on me." Varric involuntarily gripped his head as he stared at his scar. "And I already failed you all once…"

Lyn simply waited in silence as Varric's breathing began to steady itself, and he continued.

"...Like Isaid, Back where I'm from...I could see the journey's of others. I've seen your journey before. Now that I'm here to experience it with you though, it's so different then I thought. Its real, its not just some made up story, and it's not always the same events as what I saw...In my world, Ihated people. I was never one to go out and try and make friends. Instead, i mostly found friends and people Icared for in the journey's I saw." As varric looked at Lyn, he began to take notice of the details; her skin illuminated by moonlight and her hair blowing in the faint breeze. He stopped short entirely for a moment, then turned increasingly red before summoning all his nerve. "And you...I...even though I thought you were just another character from a journey, a work of fiction as far as Iknew...I still cared for you more than I did anyone I knew. Your portrait was able to bring me joy at some of my lowest points...I..." the rest of what he said became an inaudible murmur, but Lyn had figured it out by then.

Lyn felt her own face flush. " _He's felt this way about me this whole time...he's always been off guard, he was so hurt back at the shrine, so quick to try and prove himself... "_ her thoughts continued aloud. "So much makes sense now..."

Varric continued before his nerves could get the better of him." It's why I can't stop, no matter what happens to me! I have to protect you...no, not just you, everyone. I'd sooner die myself than see any one of you perish-" before he could continue he realized lyn was around his neck in an embrace.

"Thank you" she whispered. "Thank you for everything...you don't need to keep it all inside anymore."

What willpower Varric had left collapsed, and he hugged back, tears streaming down his face. "I was so worried about what you'd say, what you'd think..."

Lyn held him and spoke softly. "Whether you tell the others is your own decision, but I truly believe they'll still support you. I know you worry about what they'll think, but they deserve to know, don't you think?"

Varric began to calm, and finally, regretfully, broke away. "Yeah….alright."

Despite their words, the two continued to star across the lake for some time, each taking comfort simply in the other's presence.

Varric focused on the moon's reflection " _...similar, but different. Naga was right, what i saw was a reflection of this world, and my presence here is what's making ripples and distortions…..but Sain, Kent, Erk, all of them, most of all Lyn, are everything I imagined them to be and more…"_

Lyn had turned her head skywards. " _I should be surprised, speechless, even dumbstruck...but I'm not. It just makes too much sense, as outlandish as it may seem at a glance…"_ Her gaze drifted over to the tactician. " _Still, I don't regret any of these encounters, and I never will."_

 **A/N: ALRIGHT ONE OF TWO THINGS HAPPENED, EITHER I NAILED IT OR I JUST BOTCHED THIS STORY ENTIRELY, hoping to Naga it's not the latter… Also something that i haven't had a proper opportunity to weave into the story yet is how and why Varric loves Lyn. I don't think it's gonna be made clear for a while but I just wanted to assure that I DO have something planned. Actually that's an understatement, I have an entire roadmap of the progression of Varric's affection for Lyn from when he first played FE7 to the resolution of this story.**

 **Final edit: I procrastinated posting this for several days cause i'm quite frankly terrified i did a horrible job with this and ruined things, but i've steeled myself for the worst...**


	18. Chapter 10A: Disc 1 Final Boss

**JP I'm Italian: I don't know what happened but when i uploaded the chapter a TON of pairs of words became one word, usually "I-something" and I honestly have no clue where it came from. Also for suggestions think the start of Hector/Eliwood's story. Also you literally just described what Varric is screaming in his head when he talks to Leila.**

 **A/N: It's been a long, LONG journey (shut up, two months is an eternity to someone like me, and i've been working on the story long since before posting anything) and finally we're at the big D1FB Lundgren. This is part one of this chapter, by which I mean I'm counting both chapter 10 and Lyn's epilogue as just parts of Ch10. this is also the point where things finally begin to drastically change.**

* * *

Serra let out a loud yawn, and Nils, Wil, and Sain followed in suit. "Ugh….why did Varric wake us up so early?"

"Something about an announcement before we set off…" Sain muttered.

"Everyone." Lyn called, and the group gathered. Varric was shaking in fear, barely restrained.

" _You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. Oh gods what am I even doing?!"_ His mind raced a mile a minute.

The shaking didn't go unnoticed by the more perceptive members of the group. Lyn kept a hand on Varric's shoulder for comfort, which he gratefully accepted. "All of you, listen up. Varric has something that we decided you should all know." she motioned for everyone to seat themselves, although only about half the group did so.

Varric took a long, deep breath, and spoke. "Today is the day of our big battle. That's why before we go in, I want to be on fair ground with all of you. ….I haven't been honest with any of you." At that, several eyebrows raised and other stared blankly. Before anyone could question, Varric quickly continued. "Lyn found me in the plains, you all know that. What none of you know is where I'm from… I'm not from Elibe."

There was a long silence. Before Wil let out a laugh. "Okay, what kinda joke is this?" one look from Varric answered his question, a look of pure terror and expectancy from the group. "Y-You mean-"

* * *

One poor explanation later...

Kent rubbed his temples. "Gods almighty…"

Sain was agape. "So… you're from a different world… and a dragon god called you into our world from yours, to fulfill a role in a story you've seen play out a hundred times before." he managed, not believing his own words.

"I'm not sure if this is blasphemous or a true sign of higher power…" Lucius whispered to himself.

"I think it's a pretty clear sign that things are NOT OK" Serra shrieked.

Erk and Dorcas looked at each other and after a silent exchange smirked. "Looks like neither of us win." Erk remarked.

"W-Win?" Varric repeated, eyes darting around nervously as he tried to gauge the reactions of every member of the group at once.

"Erk and I had a little wager, the topic being your "intuition" as you always called it. Neither of us bought you just HAPPENED to have the same power as the kids. He bet it was Divination magic, I bet it had something to do with that dagger of yours." Dorcas said smirking.

Nils himself was dead silent but looking up at Varric in awe, before speaking. "So that's how you know all those things!"

Rath stepped forward scowling. "So you don't have any experience at all. You just have shaky foresight. Why would you tell us this before a decisive battle?! What is you possible goal-" Rath was cut short as he was sent faceplanting by a slap on the back from Wallace.

"Lighten up boy, learn to enjoy the thrill of times such as this!" He bellowed in laughter. "We've been led all this time by a simple boy eh? Well ya certainly got guts to handle yourself after a series of events like THAT! Ahahahaha!"

The sight of Rath faceplanting was about the only thing that could break Varric's tension and he slowly but surely began to laugh at the sight. Even after Rath got up, Varric kept laughing to the point of tears.

"Varric, are you sound?" Kent asked involuntarily.

"He's fine, Kent." Lyn replied in Varric's place. "I think he's just happy to be relieved of his burden…"

"Ya know this reminds me…" Sain began. "Remember how emotional he got after the Fang hideout? I get now why us trusting him meant so much…"

Erk nodded. "And the illiteracy makes sense, and this adds all the more mystery to that tome he found if it's his native language." Erk continued as the tense atmosphere of the group began to evaporate.

* * *

"You seriously thought we'd abandon you?!" Sain exclaimed. "I mean Rath I understand but US as well?!"

Varric looked at his feet. "Well...I mean I don't have the true experience of a war tactician, I thought if you all knew you'd just leave…"

"It's a bit too late for that boss." Dorcas chuckled.

For the first time since the revelation, Florina spoke up, almost angry. "H-How many times do we have to tell you: You're just as important as any of us!" she scolded.

"You...still mean that?" Varric said almost ecstatic. Florina turned red from both anger and embarrassment.

"OF COURSE I DO!" She yelled for once, immediately getting everyone's attention. "Even if you aren't some professional, you've saved us all multiple times now! We'd never have made it this far without you, and nothing is going to change that!"

Varric wiped his face. "T-Thank you…"

"Truth be told there are more things I wish to ask Varric about…" Matthew began as he shot Varric a look before turning to the full group. "But for now we should focus on the task ahead of us: Finishing this fight." most of the group nodded and Lyn turned to Varric.

"You heard them, what's the plan, Tactician?"

* * *

Lundgren stared at his smiling reflection, a comically condescending smirk across his face as he examined his donned armor: bright silver and purple with 3 shards of gem prominently displayed in the chestpiece like medallions. A footsoldier frantically knocked. "...Enter."

The soldier stood tall, but was was still a head shorter than the false Marquesse in his full armor. "Sir, the city is under attack, we believe it's the false heiress! And...General Wallace is leading the attack."

Lundgren grinned. "Interesting…"

The soldier stared in confusion. "Si-Sir?"

Lundgren examined his lance, or more accurately a trident with many barbs along the tip and end of the staff. In his off hand was a standard silver axe. "I was worried things would be boring. ...Go rally the men, send the majority to the square, but leave plenty on guard at the other end of the city. NOW."

"YES SIR!" the grunt said before running in fear from a mere glance.

Lundgren looked out the window to oversee the nearby hillside, just North of Caelin. " _Here's hoping you make it far enough to get to me, 'Lady' Lyndis. I look forward to watching you bleed…"_ He chuckled to himself before noticing a flying figure moving around the back of the castle. "A pegasus? That won't do…" Lundgren raised his trident before pointing it at the figure, and there was a sudden burst.

* * *

Florina looked over the square. "There's so many soldiers…" She quickly shook her head. "No, they'll be fine. Right, Ninian-?" Florina began as she looked back.

"PULL UP!" Ninain shrieked, the sudden scream enough to cause Florina to instinctively pull the reins, and a bolt of electricity missed them by inches. Immediately Florina led her pegasus far into the air, away from the castle. Her hands were shaking as she tried to grip the flying horse. Ninian cast her eyes back towards the group with fear in them. "I have a bad feeling about things…"

* * *

Lundgren watched from the other end of the upper floor as a bright pair of red and green armored knights fought off ever increasing odds. " _THOSE two… fools. It seems they have a mage and some archers, but even then there aren't more than 7 of them, most likely half their entire force."_ He grinned as he cast his eyes to the other parts of the city visible to him. Although not fully visible due to building in the city only second in size to the castle, one would have to be deaf to not hear Wallace's joyful battle cries from the main square. "And there's THAT imbecile, likely the only one who'll even make it."

* * *

"BWAHAHAHAHA! COME AT ME YOU COWARDS, SHOW ME WHAT YOU TRAITOROUS SCUM CAN DO!" Wallace cheered gleefully as he beckoned his enemies to rush him. His bravado only served to further intimidate his opponents, who were slowly giving space from backpedaling alone.

"He's a madman…"

"Th-This is actually Wallace himself!"

"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!"

Wallace sighed. "They don't train em like they used to… alright, main squad on me!" he cried and several figures positioned themselves behind him.

"Gotta say, having you on our side does wonders for morale based tactics." Varric chuckled.

"What can I say, boy? I LOVE a good fight! But when I can't find one…" Wallace's expression turned more sinister, and the entire front line of soldiers paled. "IT MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL!" He cried before charging forward and quite literally mopping up the enemy soldiers.

"I almost feel bad for them." Dorcas observed. Lucius nodded in agreement.

"Man am I glad he's on our side." Matthew said with a twinge of fear at the thought of the alternative.

* * *

Lundgren walked in silence save the clanking of armor plates as he approached the front gate of the castle. He saw what he expected: General Wallace.

"Well, well, well...I'd say I didn't expect this, but quite frankly I was HOPING at least you'd make it, even if the rest couldn't. I'm looking forward to ending your life." Lundgren allowed himself to laugh, but was cut off.

"I'm not here to fight you, old fool." Wallace said with a grin. "THEY are." At his word, Dorcas Lucius, Varric, and Lyn at the front walked into view, weapons at the ready.

"So, you're Lundgren." Lyn said through gritted teeth.

"And you're the Sacaen mongrel." Lundgren mocked. "I'll give you a chance to die quickly, I'm feeling generous right now."

Lyn drew her sword and glared with fire in her eyes. "Surrender. Or. Die." She declared with barely constrained anger.

"...Hmph." Lundgren spat in their direction. "I should've known you wouldn't know a good chance when presented, stupid who-" He began before a loud CLANG caught his attention. He glanced to his side. "I beg your pardon." he said quickly before batting Matthew away like a ragdoll, his armorslayer barely leaving a dent in Lundgren's shoulder plating.

"What?!" Varric exclaimed involuntarily. "H-how did he-?"

Lundgren raised his spear, but before he could bring it down he was bombarded with needles of light. They were numerous enough to make him step back and give Matthew a chance to escape, but again there was barely a mark on the armor.

"What manner of enchantment is this?!" Lucius exclaimed.

Lundgren smiled. "Cute, allow me to show you REAL power." In a flash of light, a bolt was fired from his trident sending Lucius tumbling back.

"YOU'LL PAY!" Lyn yelled as she lost restraint and charged head on, swinging wildly yet still retaining her form, albeit barely. Dorcas followed suit and began swinging his hammer full force. The two worked in unison enough to keep Lundgren mostly on the defensive, but the odd blow here and there still seemed meaningless.

As Lundgren dodged and weaved with more agility than anyone would think possible, Varric took notice of his chest.

"Hey, boy…" Wallace began.

"Yeah, it's just like what Eagler used." Varric surmised before moving as quickly as he could to the shadows, step by step getting closer to the battle, readying his dagger.

Unknown to Varric, he was not unnoticed. " _So that's the 'boy with the knife' they were so insistent I take care of… best not disappoint the likes of the Fang."_ "AWAY!" Lundgren cried and with a swing of his axe left a gash in Dorcas's side and struck with enough force to send Lyn stumbling back. Her eyes widened as she saw Lundgren turn to face a different target.

"VARRIC!" Lyn cried and Varric's own eyes grew wide in fear as he saw the trident bearing down on him. Instinctively he raised his hands in defense, and at his side there was a flash of black light. Everyone but Varric was taken aback before Varric was sent hurtling against the stone wall from the impact.

The same thought flashed through Dorcas and Lyn's head. " _What was-?"_ But both were caught off guard from a sweeping lance attack.

* * *

Sain and Kent jumped back closer to their companions, all of whom were running on limited resources. Nils in particular was close to having his lungs collapse from near constant use of his music, which had almost entirely lost it's immediate effect from overuse.

Wil reached for one of his few remaining arrows "Guys we can't keep up the whole "injure onlyl" thing! They just keep growing in numbers and-"

"Shut up and fight." Rath cut off, although he himself had less than a dozen arrows remaining.

"We. will not. Kill." Sain grunted through his teeth as sweat dripped down his face, his entire body aching from fighting. Kent's stoic expression belied his even more exhausted state.

Serra's magic staff cracked, and the orb on the end shattered. "G-Guys, I'm out of healing…" She managed trying not to shriek (a first for her).

One of the soldiers charged forward, but was repelled by flames. He glared at the two knights, several behind him doing the same. "COWARDS! You'll gang up on Eagler, but when outnumbered you can't even summon the courage to fight like men?!" His outcry was met with similar cries of vengeance.

"SHUT UP!" Sain screamed loud enough to be heard from the castle. The sudden deafening yell seemed to be the catalyst for exhaustion and both knights fell to their knees, unable to even stand. "We… didn't…"

"As if we'd believe your lies! You killed him in cold blood, he gave his life for Caelin, we won't let it be in vain!" the more the now very apparent makeshift leader of the soldiers spoke, the more they encroached on the group. Erk readied a fire and it began to grow rapidly.

"Sorry you two, but I can't hold back any longer and expect us to survive." Erk raised his hand, and the soldiers began to hesitate. The silence became deafening as the two sides entered a standoff.

From the sky, three female figures descended. "STOP IT!"

* * *

Varric awoke to the dulled sound of metal clashing. As his eyes opened, his vision was completely blurred. There was a metallic taste in his mouth and his cloak was dampened from bloodsoak. First his eyes focused on Matthew, applying Vulneraries as best he could to Lucius and Dorcas's gruesome injuries. The sounds came from Wallace and Lundgren, whose fighting completely cut Varric off from the others. The two went back-and-forth but neither gave an inch. The difference was expression, with Wallace grimacing and Lundgren smirking.

"I grow tired of this...I really should put you all out of your misery." Lundgren gloated. His chestpiece glowed and with a sudden burst of power he sent Wallace stumbling back, and the general barley avoided having his head skewered. From behind him, Lyn ran in to strike but was immediately forced back by an axe swing.

Varric heard a low hum, and his head followed the sound to his side where his tome glowed with an unnatural darkness. Instinctively, Varric opened it, and from his shadow an orb appeared. " _This...is what saved me before…"_ at a whim's notice the orb descended into the ground, and Varric nearly lost a foot in the process as it began to sink into the shadow. " _I have to get the dagger close enough to cancel the shards, but how-"_ in a single moment Varric's expression lit up.

* * *

"GIRL, RUN!" Wallace commanded as the situation rapidly grew more dire. Lyn simply ignored the general outright and charged back in. Her body had already been covered in cuts and bruises from a myriad of blows. Lundgren simply sidestepped with more supernatural speed and Lyn avoided decapitation solely due to Wallace yanking her back.

"Foolish girl...And you, wallace, should know better than to keep at this."

Wallace forced a grin "I'll never give up to scum like- AGH!" the general cried out as he was blasted in the chestplate with electricity, sending him flying back. Matthew immediately leaped into the fray to fill the general's position.

Lyn and Lundgren were equally surprised at the thief's actions, but Lyn soon caught on as to why and turned her attention back to Lundgren.

"My my my… so arrogant. And where might this sudden confidence in a THIEF come from?" Lundgren mocked, not even keeping his guard up by this point.

Matthew simply smirked. "From below." At that, Lundgren took notice of an abnormally large shadow.

"What-?!"

" **ZIN!"** Varric cried and an orb shot up at Lundgren's chest with supernatural force, embedding a dagger in his chestplate.

Lundgren turned in rage to the Tactician. "A cheap trick, fool."

Varric allowed himself the biggest smirk of his life. "Is it?" He calmly responded as the dagger glowed, and all three crystals in Lundgren's chestplate became a dull blue with no luster to speak of.

Before Lundgren could even speak, Matthew was on him. "SAY GOODNIGHT!" He cried as he sliced clean through the armor, causing it to fall leaving his entire upper body exposed. In a single instant Lundgren's cockiness was entirely replaced with terror.

"W-Wait, stop!" He cried out backing away in terror. Lyn walked slowly towards him.

"You betrayed the people of this place…" she began as she placed a hand on her hilt.

"You poisoned my family..." Lundgren's face filled with horror.

"You attacked me for simply living…" Her voice was cold as ice and her eyes filled with fury.

"But most unforgivable...You. Hurt. My. Friends." She raised her sword, and in an instant her expression filled with all the rage she'd held back.

"NOW PERISH!" She cried out before vanishing, and reappearing on the other side of Lundgren, who looked down to see his entire upper body cut open, and he fell to the ground, dead before he even hit the dirt.

Varric slowly smiled. "It's...over…" he managed, before his shadow returned to him, and he immediately collapsed.

* * *

Varric found himself awake in the void once more.

"So...you plan to alter things." Naga called out. Varric simply nodded.

"I'm going to use my knowledge how I see fit. I know things become less predictable the more I intervene...but I'd rather prevent disaster and lose my foresight than retain it and let others suffer."

Naga reluctantly nodded. "...this is the price I must pay for calling you here. I owe you as much; do as you please to save others."

Varric smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

"VARRIC!" Matthew snapped as he jolted Varric awake. Varric found himself dripping Vulnerary from the mouth and had bandages around his torso.

"...huh…?" He murmured as he also noticed Lucius with a grave expression.

"Oh thank St. Elimine, you're awake…" Lucius sighed.

Varric took in his surroundings, quickly realizing he was in a castle. "Where...when is it?! How long was I out this time?!"

Matthew chuckled. "Relax, it's only been a half hour since you saved the day. You collapsed from Magic exhaustion."

"Magic exhaustion?" Varric repeated.

"It's what happens when people overtax their magic tolerance." Lucius began. "For someone like you who has never trained in magic, casting a spell from a tome as powerful as that dark tome is usually LETHAL. You're lucky to be alive!"

Varric paled slightly. "I-If I use that...I can die?!"

Lucius shook his head. "Not anymore...I'll explain later. Just give thanks that you lived."

Varric quickly shook the topic from his head as he woozily stood, despite Matthew's advice. "Wh-where's Lyn? Did she go ahead?"

"Boss!" Dorcas called as he walked over. "You're awake. Yeah, Lyn has been with her grandfather. Actually, he's alive at all because of a remedy this lady with pink hair gave him...she's waiting for you, she said. Said Lord Hector of Ostia gave her orders to meet here."

Matthew's eyes widened. "Wait...WHAT?!" he exclaimed, before turning to Varric in shock. "j-JUST HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?!"

Were it not for Varric's reason for calling the spy there in the first place, he would've laughed like a hyena at Matthew's expressions. "I've seen this whole story play out. The WHOLE story." he emphasized.

* * *

Varric walked in wearily to be greeted with three familiar faced. Lyn's face lit up at the sight of the tactician. "Varric!" She cried in relief. "Thank gods, you're alright…"

The old man in the bed at her side smiled weakly. "So...you're Varric."

Varric bowed. "Lord Hausen."

Hausen shook his head slowly. "There's no need for formality...I owe you my life."

The third person finally spoke up. "I think we should leave Lady Lyndis and her Grandfather together, they probably have catching up to do." She spoke giving Varric a cold stare.

Varric immediately got the message. "I agree." he added before Lyn could protest. When her expression grew worried, Varric nodded reassuringly before leading the way to a secluded area.

* * *

"Who are you?"

"A tactician, and ally to Ostia." Varric responded curtly. "And yes, I do know far more than anyone has any right to, Leila."

Leila sighed. "I knew you were aware of who I am when you all but asked for me by name, and I was right to assume you DO know my name. What is it you know that you want to tell me?" She drew a knife in clear view. "And tread carefully."

Varric cut to the chase. "I'm here to save your life."

Leila didn't respond, she only glared.

"In about a year and a half, you will die to the Black Fang's Angel of Death." Varric summed up. Leila failed to entirely hide a grimace.

"Why should I believe you?"

"I've seen this play out countless times. Matthew planned to propose to you shortly before you died." At that, Leila momentarily dropped her knife in shock.

"W-what- how do you-?!" She stuttered.

Varric blinked. " _I never thought I'd see her so...off guard. Even after saying_ that." "But you can't stop your spywork."

That was the only other thing that could catch Leila off guard. "Y-you told me all that only to tell me I can't change fate?!"

Varric shook his head. "It's not that you can't change it...but if you don't want the fang to succeed, you need to continue relaying info all the way until the very last second. I can give you all the specifics of when you die, and I hope it's enough to let you narrowly avoid that fate." Leila began to protest but Varric quickly explained further. "The day you die is the same day Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector invade the Fang's hideout on the Dread Isle. If you can make it to the southwest shores, we can save you from any pursuers. I will be there, Lady Lyndis will be there...Matthew will be there."

"...Just how involved in all this is Matthew going to be?"

Varric, again, blinked in surprise. "That...didn't take as much convincing as I thought it would." he thought aloud.

It was Leila's turn to take slight joy in the other's surprise. "Knowledge is my business. I've long since learned to spot a lie. Why do you think someone who isn't an especially strong combatant is Ostia's best spy? It's because I don't need strength when I can see through any lie and talk my way into any position. And I'm not exaggerating when I say ANY." there was a long pause as Varric waited for the other expected comment. "...and besides...if Matthew's involved, I can't just ignore what you have to say."

Varric couldn't help but smile. "He's very lucky to have you in his life...all the more reason I can't let you die."

* * *

Varric reached the front of the castle and heard familiar voices. " _That's-!"_ he quickly rushed out, and nearly fell over at the sight that greeted him: an entire capital's worth of soldiers escorting less than a dozen people. Many of the soldiers gaped at the still intact grisly scene of Lundgren's death.

"AHAHAHA!" Wallace bellowed, cause Varric to instinctively hit the dirt, before realizing who was laughing. "What are all you lot staring for?! YES HE'S DEAD, NOW GET TO HELPING SORT OUT THIS MESS!" He commanded. Immediately most of the soldiers split up, leaving two exhausted knights at the front.

Varric got up and ran out to meet the two knights. To both Varric's surprise and the knights', he found himself grabbing them both around the shoulders in a hug. "WHERE HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN?!" he managed.

Wil, Erk, and Florina smiled at the spectacle. Rath's mouth ever so slightly twitched for a moment. Wil immediately pounced. "Don't think I didn't see that!" he declared. Rath looked away.

"...I have no idea what you're referring to." He muttered. Wil simply smirked without saying anything beyond that, which proved the only thing that could serve to further destroy the nomad's sense of stoicity.

Varric managed to gather himself. "I was...I was so damn terrified...you two went through with your "no killing" plan, didn't you?! I knew no matter what I said it wouldn't stop you, do you have any idea-?!"

Sain put a hand on Varric's shoulder. "Varric! Varric...it's okay, we're okay. I told you we'd be fine, and we're fine! See?"

Kent smiled wearily. "Don't be so cocky, Sain. It's only thanks to Varric that we made it alive…"

"Huh? Thanks to me?" Varric repeated. At that he realized there was one more person then there should rode closer with Ninian and another guest in tow.

"Varric...You were right to send us scouting the castle from the opposite side one Lundgren was occupied." Florina explained. "We found-"

"Wait, YOU'RE-?!" Varric couldn't even finish the statement as he pointed to a girl no older than him with hair a familiar shade of green.

"Chloe. Chloe Eagler." She finished.

Varric was absolutely speechless. To say Chloe looked different than what he expected was an understatement. The girl in front of him made Varric think less of any knight, archer, or magic user, and much more of a certain Oni Savage from an entirely separate era.

While Varric was gaping, the armored girl walked up a proceeded to sock him in the jaw, sending him back. "THAT was for my father." She began before holding out a hand. Varric hesitantly took it and found himself pulled into an embrace. Just as quickly he was released before his gaze met Chloe's. "...and that was for saving him." she finished.

Sain, Kent, and Varric all dropped their heads, but Wallace simply laughed. "Still haven't changed, have ya?" He patted Varric on the back. "I'll translate for ya, kid. She's saying thank you."

Varric's mind finally caught up with reality and he was still just as confused. "But...it's my fault-"

"No it isn't." Wallace and Chloe said simultaneously.

"Dear gods, there's two of them…" Erk muttered.

"What happened was Lundgren's fault and his alone." Chloe insisted. "The day my father accepted that shard… that was the day he died. You guys were the ones to end his misery." She turned to the two knights. "So enough with the pity, cause I don't need any of it!" she barked, and immediately the two knight nodded in slight fear. She sighed and faced the full group. "As much as I'd love to chat, me 'n Wally gotta sort out the civs."

"Most of the people in the city have no clue what's going on, we need to let everyone know Lundgren is overthrown." Wallace elaborated. "We'll take care of that. All of you need to get some rest and recovery before we end up with casualties."

"IT'S ABOUT TIME!" Serra yelled, fuming with anger. "I've held my tongue long enough-"

"Since when have you EVER done that?!" at least three separate people said in unison.

"-and I've had it up to HERE with all this! Unless you all plan to start celebrating the end of this mess, I'M GOING TO SLEEP!" She screamed before storming off.

"...perhaps we should follow suit." Rath murmured, and the rest of the Legion nodded in agreement.

* * *

 **A/N: Bit of a sudden end, I know, but this IS only the first half. The second half is basically the epilogue, but my version is going to be much, MUCH longer than the one in game. If you're wondering why on earth Chloe is the way I'm portraying her, I basically just had a spur of the moment thought: "you know what the FE series doesn't have enough of? Female Berserkers." and it just spiraled out of control from there. Whether or not she'll join the group in E/H's story, well that's still up for debate. (I'm leaning towards yes, I mean who the heck uses Dart? And Hawkeye is a pre promoted unit and carries all the downsides of such a status. Frankly I've never had reason to use the berserkers in FE7 so I'd love to put my own spin on them and make them truly terrifying comabtants, and three is the magic number)**


	19. Chapter 10B: Reciprocation

**A/N: I know people use Dart, I use Dart myself (because if you're an FE character then unless your name is Isadora or Kjelle it's guaranteed I've used you at some point), Greenscorpion used Dart with hilarious results, but cmon, ya gotta admit for several reasons he's almost completely overshadowed. He's honestly the first character of many in FE7 who you just aren't really given much motivation to use. It's not Dart's fault, of course. But even counting Dart, that makes it for only two Berserkers in the entire game, and Berserkers are already an underrepresented class in the series. Plus I bet none of you expected Chloe to be a berserker rather than a pegasus knight or cavalier! Due to at least one person other than me being fully on board with the idea, I can now guarantee Chloe will be given a full role in the story. Now, after the review response, onto the next Lyrric scene!**

 **Brilliant Anon: Charlotte can go jump in a lake of fire, and Rinkah is an AWESOME design wasted on a bad character (a design so awesome I've repurposed it as you already know)**. **I'm ecstatic that I managed to capture Wallace, the guy is basically Sundowner except he's ALWAYS in "F#CK YOU, FIGHT ME!" mode, and obviously a good person. Don't worry about your reviews, the bullet point style actually helps me keep track of everything you mention. And yeah, Varric's intelligence is going to be shown to not be exceptional so much as it is he's in a medieval world but has had a modern education. I never thought about the dark magic thing though, I just chose dark magic because Canas is literally the ONLY dark magic user on your side in the whole game making it very underrepresented. Nonetheless you make a very good point about intelligence based magic! I won't say anything about Leila except all your points were very valid.**

* * *

As night fell upon Caelin, two small figures headed for the exit of the castle, only to be stopped by a third figure.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Varric said with a bemused expression at the expense of the siblings' surprise.

"V-Varric, we were-" Ninian quickly began.

"I know everything." Varric quickly interjected. "I've seen it all play out, remember?"

Nils's expression turned dire and Ninian stood protectively in front of him.

" _She's assertive when it matters…"_ Varric thought, unable to stop smiling at the bond between siblings. "Guys... If I meant you harm, I would've said something by now. I want to help you two."

"Why?" Ninian questioned.

"S-Sis, I think we can trust him…" Nils protested, only to be silenced with a stern look.

"Remember what happened the last time we thought that? I'm not ever letting you go through that again!"

Varric frowned. " _Go through what? Something to do with the first time they were captured?"_ "I don't know what you're referring to, but…" he drew his knife, and to the siblings surprise tossed it at Ninian's feet. "If you really don't think you can trust me with anything, then end my life here and now. I already know what you two consider "too much", after all.

Ninian picked up the knife and shakily held it out in front of her. Varric involuntarily began to shake as he saw a fire deep in her eyes; a sort of protective instinct unlike anything he'd ever imagined.

After a long silence, Ninian stepped forward with the dagger in hand.

"NINIAN STOP!" Nils yelled as he used his instrument to bat the weapon out of his sister's hands. "What are you thinking?!" he cried. His tone shifted as much as his sister's had earlier, becoming noticeably more mature and implicating his true age.

"I was...I just meant…" Ninian tried to start, but found her voice faltering as she saw tears form in the corners of her brother's eyes.

Nils threw his hand in Varric's direction. "He's known the whole time but has done nothing but help us, and didn't say a word to anyone! He went so far as to walk right into a Fang hideout for mom's ring!"

"Nils...I…" Ninian said choking up. Before either of them could break into tears, they were equally surprised as Varric wrapped an arm around each other them, having closed the gap while they argued.

"Stop it….both of you."

* * *

"So they separated you two when you were captive…" Varric restated. Ninian nodded.

"The family we were staying with, husband, wife, and son, all sold us out the moment the fang told them what we were...they called us monsters and handed us over without a second thought…"

Nils looked away as his sister recounted details.

"There are plenty of heartless bastards out there…" Varric said through gritted teeth. "...but I'll never be one of them."

Nils turned back to the conversation. "Varric...why were you waiting for us?"

Varric smiled reassuringly. "Like I said, you were trying to leave without saying goodbye. I know you worry about the fang, but you can spend the next two weeks at least here in safety, I can guarantee that. So stop running for a short while and let yourselves be at ease."

"Varric….I'm sorry." Ninian said quietly.

"You were only trying to protect your family. I can't fault you for that." Varric replied. "Now both of you, get some sleep. And don't be afraid to open up to any of us, I don't expect you to tell them the truth, but you can still be honest about your worries with us. We'll all support you, I promise."

Both siblings looked each other in the eyes and nodded in agreement.

* * *

Lyn found herself staring at the ceiling, her body unable to fully rest. Not due to anxiety, but due to a lack of it; there was nothing to be afraid of anymore, but her body still couldn't register that as possible, not after living for such a long time always on guard. " _This is pointless…"_ she thought before silently leaving her new room. As she wandered the halls, she heard a faint singing voice.

" ** _Your faith was strong but you needed proof, you saw her dancing on the roof…_** "

Lyn smiled as she moved closer. " _Guess he's not used to this either…"_

" ** _Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew ya. She tied you up and left you there…_ "**

Lyn saw an open doorway and entered the balcony area.

" ** _She broke your throne and cut your hair, and from her lips escaped a hallelujah…_** "

Varric's voice echoed out, calm and quiet but carrying far in the dead of night. " ** _Hallelujah...Hallelujah…_ "**

Lyn listened in silence a little while longer before approaching, humming the tune.

Varric turned in surprise. "H-How do you know…?"

Lyn tried not to laugh at his expression. "I recognized the tune from when you hum in your sleep. What's the song about?"

Varric blushed. " _I hum in my sleep?!"_ "It's...it's about love - love and heartbreak."

Lyn looked out over the balcony. "I see…"

There was a long silence. Between both of them the tension mounted and it became increasingly awkward before Varric finally spoke. "Lyn….You probably don't feel the same way about me as I do you…" The sacaen didn't look Varric in the eyes and her head dropped a bit, until Varric raised her chin. To her surprise, he was smiling without a hint of sadness. "That's okay. That's normal."

"Varric…" Lyn began, but Varric shook his head.

"Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. You don't know me the way I know you; you don't have the same connections to me that I do to you."

"But I DO care about you!" Lyn protested. "I would've never gotten here without you, and I care about you more than I could word."

Varric smiled wider. "Then I'm on the right track." Lyn's response was slightly puzzled. "You've already earned my love. If I ever want it reciprocated, I'll have to earn _yours_." He looked out over the balcony. "But let's forget all of that...it doesn't matter. I just don't want to waste what time we have worrying over this stuff."

" _What time we have? What does he mean by that?_ " Lyn wondered, but before she could speak, Varric opened his mouth.

Varric let out a loud yawn that dissolved any tension left. It'd been a long night and it was rapidly weighing on him. Even as he stood in moonlight he felt his eyes droop. "Geez...when did I get this tired…?" he muttered as he stumbled over to the nearest seat, Lyn keeping him from tripping. Almost immediately Varric nodded off onto her shoulder.

Lyn sat next to him, looking out at the view. " _This is my home now...and it's all thanks to them that I've made it here._ " She glanced at the slumbering tactician. "Thank you, Varric...for everything. You've travelled so far to help me, gone through so much without worrying for yourself….I won't let it be a waste."

* * *

The morning sun rose high in the air. As Sain returned to the knight's quarters, Kent ran up to him in a rush. "Sain, Lady Lyndis is missing from her room, we need to-" He was cut off by Sain's laughter.

"Kent, Kent, Kent, she's fine." Sain calmed. "Perhaps better than fine."

"What are you-" Kent began but once more was cut off.

"Excuse us!" Lucius called, accompanied by the other two magic users.

"Where is Varric?!" Serra huffed. "He's over an hour late to the meeting we were supposed to have!"

"Meeting?" Sain repeated.

Erk sighed. "The three of us were going to inspect that tome of his. He asked for us to do so once everything had been settled."

"And it's all the more important that we explain magic to him now that he's begun using that tome!" Lucius quickly added. "He already nearly killed himself from magic exhaustion…"

"EXCUSE ME." Kent barked, having lost his patience. "But what about Lady Lyndis?!" he turned on Sain. "Explain what you meant!"

Sain grinned and jerked a thumb at a door a ways behind him. "See for yourselves."

Puzzled, the group checked the room.

"Awww…." Serra let out, immediately waking both people in the room.

"Ugh…" Varric grunted as he shielded his eyes from the light coming in. "5 more…" he quickly blinked awake.

Lyn did the same, and the both of them raised themselves, having fallen asleep leaning against one another. Both immediately blushed and looked away.

"Ahem." Erk coughed with a poorly hidden smirk. "Did we interrupt anything?"

"N-NO!" Varric yelled.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Lyn concurred.

* * *

"Magic exhaustion...that's what you called it last time as well." Varric restated, sitting with his tome in front of him and the three other magic users sat with him in a diamond.

Lucius nodded. "All people have a tolerance to how much channeling their body can handle. Mages who aren't one of the rarities to inherently have high tolerance must train up their body's resistance long before they ever cast a spell."

"Yet you, being an idiot, went and used an incredibly powerful dark tome with zero training." Erk added scathingly.

"An absolute moron." Serra chided in agreement.

Varric hung his head. "Okay guys, I get it…"

Lucius held up his hands. "Settle down, you two. It's not like there aren't plenty of others who do so."

Varric perked his head up. "Huh? Why would people purposefully harm themselves like that?"

"Low rank magic isn't necessarily lethal to people without resistances." Erk explained.

Serra went on. "Holy magic, such as healing staves and light tomes, isn't as raw in energy as Ancient and Anima magic, so many people who want to learn it use a little trick to bypass the resistance buildup training."

"Yes, and they're idiots." Erk muttered.

Serra rolled her eyes. "What people will do is simply right off the bat cast a spell and go through the magic exhaustion. It can leave you bedridden for as long as several months if it goes poorly, but there's no known record of it being fatal outside of freak accidents. The same can't be said for Anima and Ancient magic."

"So they basically tank the M.E. to supercharge their base resistance…" Varric summarized.

Lucius nodded. "It's not advised, but often resorted to when people need to learn magic quickly for whatever reason. It's especially common practice in wartime...not that the three of us would know."

Erk scoffed. "It's the idiots who try that trick with Anima and Ancient magic who usually bite the dust. Anima mage prodigies being burned alive from the inside as a result of their impatience, and many a young shaman consumed by the forces of darkness and sentenced to a fate worse than death."

Everyone save Erk paled at the thought. Varric was shaking. "A-And….that was nearly me?" he squeaked, and let out an involuntarily yelp when the others nodded.

Lucius quickly jumped in. "But you DID survive it! And to do so with such a powerful tome is a sign of a true prodigy!" he praised.

"Uh...wouldn't that be a bad thing for a monk?" Varric interrupted. "Don't you hate Ancient magic by default?"

It was Serra's turn to scoff. "We're magic users, not savages! HONESTLY!"

Lucius sighed. "Sadly, many people assume Ancient magic is evil, hence the colloquial term "Dark magic". Really what most people think of when people say "dark magic" is fell magic, not Ancient magic. Ancient magic was the earliest form of magic and dates back to before the scourging. That tangential association with dragons is what started the rumors about it in the first place, or so I'm told."

"You're partially right, but your holy men aren't exactly pure. Many churches and faiths have used light magic as a tool to gather a following, as light magic is especially effective against Ancient magic. They encouraged the superstitions that Ancient magic and Fell magic are the same." Both Serra and Lucius began to object, but Erk went on.

"HOWEVER, that changed a bit when St. Elimine came along. St. Elimine exposed many lies and false shepherds. It's because of such acts and moral standing that the Church of St. Elimine has become one of the most popular faiths in Elibe, as well as why it's followers are still growing in numbers."

"...Not everything Erk said is false." Lucius mumbled in admittance.

Varric looked between the two, and at the potential animosity quickly changed subjects. "Hey-HEY! So...if I have a knack for this thing, could you guys help me start learning magic?"

Erk raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Varric? In case you haven't noticed, none of us use Ancient Magic."

"So?" Varric protested. "It's still all magic, I assume most of the basics are similar enough for you guys to at least make it so I don't risk killing myself with every casting."

"Perhaps you have a point…" Lucius contemplated. Serra, however shook her head.

"Oh, oh no, no no no, I am NOT getting involved! I'm a CLERIC, not a miracle worker! You want to do something stupid? BE MY GUEST, but count me OUT!" she screeched.

Erk removed his hands from his ears. "Enough of you siren, you don't even know how tomes work, so leave already."

Serra glared. "Still so rude! HMPH!" she turned her head and marched away.

Lucius sighed. "Oh dear, this is going to be arduous…"

* * *

Varric checked the parchment he had taken from the room he'd slept in, as of this point most of his list had been crossed off. " _Next up is those two…"_ he thought as he approached another meeting spot.

"You're late." Leila remarked curtly as Varric approached.

Varric scratched his head. "Sorry, I got caught up with the mages…"

Matthew to both Leila and Varric's surprise grabbed Varric by the shoulders. "Varric. What does Leila have to with all this?!"

Leila sighed. "Matt, stop being so protective all the time."

Matthew ignored her and stared dead into Varric's eyes. The tactician looked over behind him to the spy, who shook her head. Varric nodded in silent agreement. "She's not a major participant in events to come, if that's what you're worried about. In the version of the journeys I saw, she actually doesn't make an appearance in the "story" until about a year from now."

Matthew visibly relaxed and let go of Varric, before another question entered his head. "Wait, what happens a year from now?"

"Can't say." Varric replied quickly. "Can't go mucking about too much, I've already made a slight mess by getting Leila here so early in events."

"Then why did you call her here?!" Matthew countered.

"Because it's YOU I'm worried about." Varric said, only half lying.

"M-Me?!" Matthew stuttered. Leila was also on guard.

"Wait, you never said anything about him being in danger!" she said with audible rage.

" _Wow, she wasn't kidding before. She knew I actually meant that…"_ Varric thought, holding up his hands. "To be honest, it wasn't until Wallace told us the details about Fell magic that I knew Matthew was in danger…"

"What does Fell magic have to do with this?" Matthew questioned.

"DAMN IT MATT WHAT THE HELL DO YOU GET YOURSELF INTO?!" Leila yelled, whacking the thief across the head with more than a little impact.

Varric sighed. "Maybe we should calm down before continuing…"

* * *

As the three sat together, Leila was drumming her fingers on the table. "We're waiting, tactician."

"Alright...The simple version is that a certain assassin hurts Leila. Leila already knows what I'm referring to."

"WHAT?!" Matthew burst out. "When, WHO?!" he grabbed varric by the front of his cloak. "I swear to whatever dragon god it was that brought you here, if you let her-"

"Matt, I'm gonna tell you one more time to calm down." Leila said with ice in her voice. "He already warned me, and it's not like it's a lethal attack." she said convincingly enough to make even Varric believe it for a moment.

Matthew's grip slacked and Varric brushed him off. "Geez...you two REALLY care about each other."

"Of course we do." the two said in unison. Varric couldn't help but smile for a moment at that, although his expression became grim soon after.

"Anyways...Matthew goes a bit off the walls in pursuit of revenge."

"I..I do?" Matthew stuttered, pointing to himself.

" _Considering what happens to me, I'm not surprised…"_ Leila thought. "You idiot…" she murmured, before turning back to Varric. "Exactly how in too deep is he by the end of things?"

"I don't know all that it entails, but now that I know much more about Fell magic and most of all what it's name entails, I'm worried."

"Why does the name tip you off?" Matthew asked.

"Well-" Varric began, but stopped short at Leila's expression.

The spy was wide eyed with genuine fear in all over her face. "You damned fool…" she whispered, staring in fear at Matthew. She turned to face Varric. "...he signed a Fell Contract, didn't he?"

" _That reaction… is definitely not good sign. I wasn't sure if the contract actually had powers, Wallace didn't actually use a knight's crest, but he still had it, so I guess my assumption that the fell contract is an actual thing was correct."_ Varric thought, before snapping out of it. "Yeah...he does. In my "vision" of your "story" the events are never completely identical with each viewing, but it's always either Matthew who signs it or another thief who acts as an ally to Ostia."

Leila looked in Matthew direction, and he reflexively held his hands up in defense. When there was no impact, he lowered his hands and seemed even more worried. "L-Leila? Could you explain what this is about?"

Leila took a deep breath and her shaking subsided. Then she punched Matthew hard enough to send him out of his seat. "You stupid moronic imbecile…." she muttered.

"So you literally sign away your soul." Varric summarized.

Leila nodded. "It's a fate worse than any death. You gain immense power, the power of legendary assassins. But in time you lose your free will, and your soul becomes sealed away in a new Fell contract; it's added to all the others that power the contract, and makes the next person to sign it that much more powerful."

"That explains why there's only one…" Varric murmured.

"Pardon?"

"Uh, nothing!" Varric quickly covered. "Now that I know what the Fell Contract actually is, I swear on my life Leila: I won't let Matthew even touch it."

Matthew rubbed his still sore jaw. "You guys are overreacting, I'd never do something that stupid…"

"Yes you would." Leila immediately replied. "I've seen you when you're determined...you become blind to every risk and threat."

Silence fell on the three, before Varric spoke. "Like I said, now that I know this I'll make damned sure Matthew doesn't sign the contract."

Leila nodded. "I'm not sure how you'll do that...but I trust you already know where all three of us will be when the time comes."

Matthew slowly got up. "Well then...if we're done worrying about me, I'll slip away before Leila can hit me again."

"Actually, there is one last thing." Varric began, before placing his dagger on the table. "Could you two train me to fight like you?"

"No." Leila said bluntly.

"WHY?!"

"Because you aren't fit enough." Leila elaborated, and Varric was cut deep.

"But...but I'm more in shape than ever!" He protested.

"I never said you weren't." Leila said. "To be more specific: you aren't fit enough for regularly participating in combat like a mercenary or wandering warrior would. Your body would give out too quickly."

"Spywork and lethal strikes require extreme agility and temperament." Matthew added. "You just don't have that."

Varric's head dropped low. "I...I don't want to be on the sidelines, I want to be able to help fight…"

Leila stared at the tactician before sighing. "If you really mean that...I have a possible solution. I won't be training you, though. I have to leave tonight. Matt is a better combatant than me anyways."

"At least you're willing to admit that much." Matthew chuckled. "I trust we're thinking of the same plan?"

Leila smiled and nodded.

* * *

"So, the squirt tactician wants to be a REAL man, does he?" Chloe said with a slightly sadistic grin.

Varric paled. "Uh...guys?" he said looking over his shoulder at the other two. Leila gestured to Chloe while Matthew flashed a thumbs up. " _I'm so dead."_ Varric lamented.

"Way I see it, this works perfectly for both of us!" Chloe beamed. "I get to pay you back by training you, and I also get to beat the crap out of ya!"

"Y-You're still upset about the whole General Eagler icindent, I presume?" Varric managed as he slowly backed away.

Chloe shook her head. "Already told ya, I came to terms with his death long before pops kicked the bucket for real. And regardless I ain't gonna let what's already passed hold me back! He's the one who taught me that to begin with." She stuck her hand out, and Varric shakily took it. Her grip was, thankfully, still a few levels below Wallace's.

"So it's settled." Leila mused. "I'll be leaving, but Matthew will stick around to train you a while."

"Don't get ahead of yourself though." Matthew added. "I can't stick around longer than a couple of months. Leila isn't the only one with places to be!"

"Don't you worry one bit!" Chloe boasted. "All I need is one month and this guy'll be in a different league!"

Varric gulped. "A-Awesome…"

* * *

 **A/N: And thus Varric's temporary descent into Hell on Elibe begins. Daily training in both combat and magic for a full month, another couple of weeks learning knife combat, and on top of all of this he has to make the several month long journey the tactician took during the timeskip in-game! Hopefully 10C will be the last 10 part. I have so many parts cause there's just so much to fit in now that I'm drastically deviating from the game.**

 **Songs in this chapter: Hallelujah (with tweaked lyrics)**

 **P.S. Don't forget to review!**


	20. Chapter 10C: Two Kinds of People

**A/N: THIS IS THE EPILOGUE THAT NEVER ENDS, IT JUST GOES ON AND ON MY FRIENDS. I was 12 pages in when I realized "hey wait a sec, I'm only like 66% done with the rest of what I had planned!" so yeah there's gonna be a part 4 to chapter 10**

 **Review Responses!**

 **Ocharlos: Are we seriously gonna count the secret shop? C'mon, that's put there for people who miss the first one. I went with the idea of there only being one because most people don't use three assassins. You CAN, but it's not advisable. Most of all, I had a really cool idea and wanted to use it. Do people even promote Legault?**

 **QuilavaMan89: I'm flattered, but I don't think I have what it takes to write for the legendary heroes and such. I mean, i COULD, but I doubt it would turn out especially good...**

 **Brilliant Anon: CHLOE'S CRAZY CALISTHENICS HOUR = perfection. Also D1FB: Disc 1 Final Boss. and I presume it's from Lundgren poisoning Hausen for months that left Hausen in such a weak state. Lundgren also is probably at least several years younger, and when you get to be that age several years can be all it takes to separate strong from frail. Factor in the aforementioned poison and it lines up. As for stopping Leila altogether or having Pent sent more backup, Varric knows he can't much things up TOO much, otherwise everything may go in an entirely different direction. Also, Ostia isn't just going to believe the word of some random guy who claims to be extradimensional, they're going to want a trustworthy source for their info. Basically they probably won't believe Varric anyways and have Leila still at as a spy. Pent actually for reasons I won't disclose yet WOULD believe Varric, but he'd also know that if he sends a full squad of pegasus knights, they'll be spotted before they ever get within range of dread isle. You HAVE given me an idea though...and I got nothing from the new LHB. I'm pretty damn pissed, I spent 70 orbs at least and got nothing.**

 **Part two:**

 **STOP ACCURATELY PREDICTING STUFF! (please continue doing so, lets me know my ideas are believable)**

 **Varric knows how powerful Nergal is. If the two remained in Caelin, many MANY people would die at the hands of the BF in their mission to retrieve the two. Varric also can't tell them they'll be captured again because that would leave them in despair. That being said, he knows the best case scenario is that the two of them are isolated when they're recaptured because that means the fang don't go through anyone to get to them.**

 **Rath is Rath, he avoids attention, and don't worry about Florina, she'll be in this part.**

 **I started this story with all couples already planned out.**

 **Again, Varric can't accelerate things without causing distortions. Believe me, it's gonna be painful for him to not try and rush to Caelin sooner than scheduled. And yes, the fang will definitely sooner or later take note of Varric being especially effective at what he does.**

 **Lastly, I'm glad I nailed the Fell Contract thing! There's only one in the game (not counting the secret shop but I ain't gonna let that kill my fun, if for no other reason than it's there for the sake of people who missed the first one), it's worth a FRICKTON of money, and it makes a spy into a freaking hurricane (pun intended) of lethality (also intended). Factor in the fact that it's apparently some Fell object and I decided I'd put a spin on things. I'll confirm right now Jaffar did NOT sign one. He's simply been brutally trained into being a killing machine by the fang.**

* * *

"GET UP YOU PANSY!" Chloe yelled as Varric fell to his knees yet again.

Varric gasped for air as his vision blurred and his head spun. " _Every day is worse than the last…"_ he thought through his clouded mind as he struggled to raise himself. He planted one of two iron staves into the ground to push himself up.

Sain watched from the sidelines, along with Kent and several Caelin soldiers.

"How many days does this make?"

"Kid's gonna kill himself if he keeps showing up…"

"Yeah but the fact that he's survived this long is damn impressive! Wonder if he's even realized Chloe amps things up every session…"

Sain couldn't help but grin with glee at awe of the other soldiers at Varric's progress.

"Can you believe Varric's lasted this many days of the Crazy Chloe Calisthenics Hour?"

Kent sighed. "Honestly, who came up with that term? It's not even Chloe's own regimen, it's as much Wallace's and General Eagler's as it is hers… and why do people call it an "hour"?!"

Varric finally pulled himself back up, metal clanging from his equipment. On each arm a shield was mounted, and in each hand he held an iron bar acting as substitute sword tied to his palm.

"I'm… not done…"

Chloe grinned. "Good. You've certainly improved since day one, I'll give you that-" she stopped short as Varric doubled over in pain. Chloe simply sighed as she walked over. "But clearly…" She let loose a "light" kick to Varric's abdomen. "IT'S STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

The soldiers all winced at the sight. Varric began coughing and hacking, gasping for air. " _Goddamn… bitch…"_ he mouthed weakly in silence as he once more weakly used one of the staves to prop himself.

Suddenly a dark blue blur of movement crossed through the training dummy area.

"Aaaand there goes Wil." Sain chuckled.

"OOOOOOHHHHHH BOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYY!" a voice bellowed as Wallace's figure followed in hot pursuit. Several soldiers dove out of the way of both figures in fear. "YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER!"

"It's Wil I worry about." Kent said with legitimate concern in his voice. "What does Wallace even plan to teach him, anyhow? He DOES know Wil is an archer, doesn't he?"

During the distraction Varric had once more raised himself. Chloe was visibly impressed. " _I...didn't expect him to actually get back up after that one."_ "...You still want more pain?"

"Keep… going…" Varric gasped.

Chloe grinned. "...alright then, greenhorn, 50 more swings at the dummy. PER ARM."

* * *

Varric lay in the shade on the stone floor just outside the training area, breathing heavily. Florina sighed. "You really need to stop pushing yourself so far, you'll injure yourself, not to mention you're making it easier to get sick…"

As exhausted as he was, Varric took notice of that. "I didn't expect you to be so well versed in medicine, Florina."

Florina blushed. "It-it's nothing much...Between myself and my sisters, I was always the one worrying about others getting hurt. Before they had even become full fledged Pegasus Knights, I learned everything I could about medicine from both Clerics and hunters."

"Huh…" Varric muttered, taking the info in. "In g- I mean, in my visions you never once showed any such traits…"

Florina twiddled her fingers. "Well, even with all you've seen you probably don't know all of us inside and out…that'd just be unrealistic, dontcha think?"

Varric began to laugh before quickly stopping due to pain. "Y-Yeah. You're right...and it gives me all the more reason to get to know all of you in person."

Florina smiled a bit. "R-Right! ...By the way, Nils didn't come by today…"

"Yeah, I honestly didn't think I'd make it so long without his help, but I told him to spend these last couple of days with the others, not just me."

"They're leaving soon, aren't they?" Florina said sadly as she took a cloth and pressed it to Varric's forehead.

Varric sighed. "Yeah they've been here almost three weeks, can't blame em for being worried after staying in one place so long.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Serra and Lucius sat enraptured by Nils as both them and Erk sat with the boy. Serra's eyes were shining. "So THAT'S the difference between my healing and yours!"

Lucius nodded approvingly. "When you put it like that, it makes perfect sense!"

Nils laughed nervously. "It's really nothing that amazing, you guys' magic is way cooler…"

"Visually, maybe." Erk remarked. "But your magic allows others like US to achieve new heights."

Suddenly, a brown haired archer burst into the room and quickly shut the door behind him, putting his entire body against the door. "I think...I lost him…" he whispered fearfully.

Serra scoffed. "Again, Wil? This is just pathetic. Weren't YOU the one who wanted to improve your skills?"

"Yeah, but I meant for RATH TO TEACH ME; Wallace wouldn't know the first thing about archery, he'll just drive me into the ground!"

Serra scoffed a second time with twice the scorn. "Your just upset because your buddy-buddy left with no more than a short note.

"Although it does say quite a bit about the two that Rath bothered to leave him a farewell at all!" Lucius intervened, trying to mitigate the situation.

Wil only then noticed Nils. "Huh? What're you doing here, Nils? Thought you'd be watching Varric. In fact I can hardly recall a time you two HAVEN'T been side by side these past couple of weeks."

Nils shrugged. "Bro said I should spend more time with you all before me and sis leave."

Wil finally seemed to let his guard down and chuckled before quickly ruffling Nils' hair. "You still calling him that? Guess music really is thicker than water."

Nils pushed his hand away. "Stoooop!" he whined, before messing with his hair. "And it's not just that!"

Erk smirked. "Yeah, I think it's been pretty obvious for a while now Varric's got a soft spot for those two.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Serra jabbed.

"It really is quite heartwarming." Lucius said happily.

"COME ON OUT WIL!" Wallace boomed, and immediately everyone in the room turned to look at the archer, who had already bolted into a closet.

* * *

As the sun set across the city, the red and green knights began to fill in Lyndis on the day's events.

"...I see ...but most of the townsfolk still support me? Truly?"

Kent smiled reassuringly. "M'lady, I don't know how many times we must tell you: the vast majority of Vaelin is more than happy, downright ecstatic, to hear of your presence."

Sain scoffed. "Lundgren was a bastard and a tyrant, and Lady Madelyn was the pride of Caelin. Even after eloping, few were willing to speak ill of her. She set and example for us all on how to live without letting power or status define oneself; the exact opposite of Lundgren."

"What Sain means is that those who weren't happy about the arrival of Lady Madelyn's child were still overjoyed at Lundgren being overthrown."

"...My mother was thought of that highly, was she…? Well then, I hope I can live up to her legacy.." her typical smile quickly returned. "On another note, how goes Varric's training? I wish I could help, but…"

Kent shook his head. "We all understand your concern for the Marquese. No one holds your attention for him against you."

Sain snickered. "And I think it's for the best you don't see what Varric's had to endure. It's a miracle he's still alive. Nils barely leaves his side to keep him with enough energy to last."

Lyn was unsure whether to laugh or worry, and her expression said as much. After a moment she shook her head. "A-Anyhow, those two really have grown quite close quite fast, haven't they? When I go out the balcony near grandfather's chambers, I often hear the two of them making music."

Lent nodded. "That connection seems to be a very strong one; both of them have an immense passion for the art."

* * *

As Nils and Varric gazed up at the stars, a tense air slowly crept over. Nils was the first to sit up. "We're leaving tomorrow." He said matter of factly; it was only around Varric he spoke in a way that reflected his other half - a sign that he had truly let himself be at ease.

Varric also sat up. "Nils… there's something I need to ask you before you two leave. It's not something we can tell Ninian about."

Nils turned his head, visibly worried. "W-What?"

Varric took a deep breath. "...I need to know if there's a way to stop you two if either lose control."

Nils' hair stood on end. "... … … It's… it's happened once before, what i think you're talking about, I mean. It was the point when me and sis first entered this side."

It was Varric's turn to have his hair stand on end. " _WHAT?!"_

Nils continued. "We were on the other side, and mom was gone...I don't remember what caused it, but the two of us both lost control. It was pure hate, and fear, and sorrow...but dad saved us."

Varric gulped. " _Th-that confirms it…"_ "How did your dad save you?"

"He called out to us, and a bright light appeared. We were drawn to it, I remember feeling this...NEED, to go to it. Everything else is a blur of fury. The next thing I knew, I was barely conscious and I saw dad doing some sort of magic spell…He chanted and then used a pitch black tome."

Varric's mind was going about a thousand miles per hour, before he calmed himself. "Do you remember the chant?"

Nils nodded and motioned Varric to lean in.

* * *

Varric carried a sleeping Nils to the front of the castle. Ninian was waiting there. "I thought as much; he really does care about you." Ninian said smiling gently. "...He was right, and I was wrong. I should have never-"

Varric shook his head. "Don't give it another thought." he gently woke Nils. "C'mon, you."

* * *

As Varric watched the two siblings leave in the night, he felt a new hope in his chest. " _I won't just save Leila…I'll save you two as well."_

* * *

Serra popped her head into the training area. "Hey, any of you seen Dorcas?"

Matthew gave her a blank look before giving a pitiful one. "You didn't even notice? Dorcas said his goodbyes this morning."

"WHAT?!" Serra exclaimed in her trademark shrieking voice. From a distance one could hear loud calls of "Siren".

Sain continued for Matthew. "The guy felt guilty about already having left Natalie by herself this long, said as much as he liked being here, he couldn't stand the thought of risking something happening to her."

Varric fell at the group's feet. "Dude… is a good… husband…" he gasped.

Kent nodded. "Indeed, but your own actions shouldn't go unlauded."

"What? What happened?" Serra questioned.

"Apparently somewhere down the line Varric got his hands on a Red Gemsphere." Sain explained. Serra's jaw dropped.

"Seriously?! How?!" All three turned to look at Varric, but the poor tactician had already been pulled back by Chloe. Immediately, after, they turned to look at Matthew.

"...what? HEY! I didn't steal a thing!" He proclaimed defiantly.

Sain laughed nervously. "A-Anyways, the guy OF COURSE gave the gem to Dorcas in order to help pay for Natalie's medicine. Add that to the payment Lyn absolutely refused to let Dorcas leave without and the guy will more than be able to afford a few months of medicine for Natalie."

"Awwww" Serra let out. After a brief silence, however, she sighed. "Speaking of leaving…"

* * *

Varric held out a hand. "See you around?"

Erk chuckled. "I highly doubt it...but one can always hope." He took Varric's hand, but was surprised as Varric pulled him into a bro-hug for a moment.

Varric couldn't help but burst out laughing at the mage's dazed expression. "It's… an expression of comradery from my home.

"You here that, Erk?" Matthew taunted. "You're one of us "dashing rogues" now!"

Erk rolled his eyes and turned back to Varric. "I can only assume you at least know the general area where I reside. If you do, perhaps at some point you could visit. If you don't know, don't go looking for it. My master is a bit...protective of his isolation."

" _I can imagine._ "Varric thought. "Will do, keep learning how to do that fire column thing!"

"But of course!" Erk said, his eyes lighting up over one of his rare passions.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRK!" Serra screeched.

Immediately Erk's expression fell flat. "There but for the grace of the saints go I…"

* * *

Lyn and Varric walked into one of the castle rooms to find an unlikely duo there. "Lucius? I assumed you were leaving alongside Serra and Erk." Lyn stated.

Lucius shook his head. "I was just talking about that with Florina, actually. Firstly, Erk instructed that I and her ensure Varric doesn't kill himself-"

Varric rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling.

"And the two of us also came to a conclusion about our journeys."

"You mean how you're both on pilgrimage, right?" Varric estimated.

Florina nodded. "Yeah…" she turned to Lyn shakily. "Lyn- No, Lady Lyndis…"

"Florina, don't call me that!" Lyn groaned.

"Please allow me to join Caelin as a pegasus knight in service to you!" Florina cried, shutting her eyes out of anxiety. They jolted open as Lyn put a hand on her shoulder.

"If you so desire it, I would happily accept you as one."

Florina's eyes slightly filled with tears before she embraced Lyn. "Thank you!"

Varric and Lucius both felt their hearts melt a little. "...Hey, Lucius, what was it you were gonna say?"

Lucius cleared his throat. "Like Florina, I wish to extend my leave here. Nothing permanent, but I would like to spend some time learned the surrounding areas before I track down a dear friend."

Lyn nodded. "You're more than welcome to stay as long as necessary!"

* * *

5 days later…

* * *

Varric was breathing heavily with his feet planted, trying his damndest not to pass out. Chloe lowered her training weapon. "Congrats, Greenhorn, you survived."

It took about 10 seconds for Varric to even register anything was said. "...wait...what…?"

Chloe grinned. "You finally made it through a full day without any breaks and without collapsing. You pass." She walked up to him. "Still…" with one hand she sent Varric falling back. "Work on your balance."

"Duly noted." Varric managed as he waited for Sain to help him up.

"Speaking of miracles…" Sain began, "Wil hasn't barged in here like usual-" he was interrupted as Wallace dragged a sobbing Wil through.

"...Seems I spoke too soon." Sain muttered.

"He must've snuck by during an earlier part of the day." Kent guessed.

As Wallace passed by he nearly knocked Varric over for a second time with a pat on the back. "Congrats, boy!" He said cheerily. "Been a long time since I seen someone so devoted to improving themself." He gave a harsh jolt to Wil. "Archy here could learn from ya!"

Wil looked up to the tactician in a silent plea.

* * *

As Varric finished washing up, he found after redressing his green cloak was nowhere to be seen. " _Wait, where's my cloak?!"_ He rushed back to the training grounds, where Chloe was still swinging at targets. " _Even on herself she doesn't slack off for a moment…"_ Varric thought in awe.

Chloe immediately noticed him. "If you're looking for that shredded, blood-soaked rag you call a cloak, go look by Lord Hausen."

Puzzled, Varric did so. He entered the Marquese's room, and to his surprise saw Hausen standing, looking out over Caelin. "Lord Hausen?"

"Hm?" Hausen murmured as he turned. His expression lifted. "Ah, Varric! What brings you here?"

"Um...Chloe told me to look here for my cloak. I, uh, didn't really question it." He mumbled the last part.

Hausen nodded. "Ah, yes, she's referring to this." He walked over to a drawer and pulled out a perfectly folded article of clothing, before handing it to Varric. "Here, it's a small token of appreciation. I know you said you wanted nothing more than a place to reside, but both Lyn and I thought you deserved at least this much."

Varric took the cloak. "T-Thank you-" he began, but stopped short in awe as the cloak fell unfolded. Rather than a solid color, the cloak was a beautiful selection of hues of green that gradually alternated and faded into one another. Just by touch, Varric could feel the fabric durability as well.

Hausen chuckled in light of the tactician's expression. "The colorwork is courtesy of Lyn, it seems she learned many crafts out on the plains. The weaving is a Caelin trade secret."

Varric finally found his breath. "...wait, trade secret?"

Hausen nodded. "While not what people typically connect Caelin with, our main trade is actually clothing and accessories! This cloak was made with the very techniques used to craft the capes of the lords of Ostia."

" _Wait, this is the same kinda clothes a LORD wears?!"_ Varric, again, had to find his voice. "I-I can't accept this-"

Hausen laughed. "Young man, you are indeed humble, but there is such a thing as TOO much humility. I insist you take it, Lyn put her heart into dyeing it."

After a brief moment, Varric wrapped the cloak around himself. "I can't thank you enough."

Hausen held up a hand. "There is also one other thing I believe you'd be interested in…"

* * *

Varric dashed through the halls in gleeful excitement. Unfortunately, this caused him to run smack dab into Kent.

"OW!" both cried. Lyn, accompanying Kent, sighed.

"Are you two alright?"

Varric rubbed his head as he stood. "Yeah...I'll be fine…"

Kent rubbed his temples. "Gods, Varric, what were you…" his voice trailed off as he saw what Varric was wearing. The numbers added up in his head. "Ah, so THIS is what Lady Lyndis has been working so fervently on."

"Wait, really?" Varric asked. " _Hausen didn't make it sound like the making of this thing was that big a deal."_

"It really isn't worth mentioning, Kent…" Lyn mumbled in embarrassment.

Kent rolled his eyes, something Varric thought he'd never see the polite knight do. "M'Lady, you MUST stop downplaying yourself. Do you think none of us noticed how many hours you spent gathering materials and creating dye?"

"Woah, woah, woah, hold up." Varric motioned. "This dye pattern DOES look a lot different than anything I've seen, it's such a smooth gradient of green hues it's almost unreal, but what about the dye itself is special?"

Before Lyn could object to it, Kent explained. "It's made from toxins." Lyn immediately held a hand to her forehead. To her surprise, however, Varric didn't freak out, the tactician was instead examining his cloak with even greater appreciation.

"Amazing…"

"...It's actually no longer toxic. It's made from the toxins contained within several types of berries. Three specifically, all of which are known for growing all the way from inner Lycia to the plains of Sacae." Lyn began. "In my tribe, we made dyes from them that were then used to decorate a champion's garb. Once dried into cloth or leather, the toxin loses its effect and becomes perfectly safe."

Varric took Lyndis's hand in both of his and looked to her with practically shining eyes. "That's incredible! I've heard of stuff like this, but I've never seen it in practice!"

After a moment, Lyn became visibly less anxious and returned Varric's smile. "I'm so happy you like the cloak!"

Kent didn't say a word; he simply smiled at the spectacle. " _As I thought, her fears were completely off the mark."_

* * *

Varric let down a large sum of charts and books. " _This is perfect! I can actually learn about this world firsthand now!"_ His face was painted with ecstacy. Lucius laughed. "You look as if you've had a revelation of the highest caliber."

Varric double checked to make sure no one else was around. "Well, you know my situation. This is my first REAL opportunity to learn about these lands in depth!"

"Are you sure you'll be able to read through it? We only recently finished teaching you how to read our language."

Varric nodded. "It's VERY similar to my own language, really it's just a matter of different symbols."

"Very well then." Lucius replied. "What exactly is it you are so keen to read about?"

"The history of these lands, especially concerning the Scourging." _"In Binding Blade there are hidden Scourging era temples across the lands, I bet my tome is…"_ he shook his head. "Anyways, I bet I could learn a bunch of stuff that'll help in the long run!"

Lucius put his hand to his chin. "Now that I think about it, you have mentioned before that you know events as far as over a year from now. ...Well, I wish you luck!" he cheered as he stood up, leaving Varric to his studies.

* * *

 **A/N: Fun fact: extremely intense exercise for several hours on a daily basis for any extended length of time won't build up your muscles, it will tear them to freaking shreds. Normally you cause micro tears as you exercise, which is why you feel sore. The body builds back your muscles more tempered than before, making you stronger. Rinse and repeat to gain strength. Continuously creating large amounts of micro tears, however, results in the body not being able to rebuild fast enough and you will eventually cause permanent tears. This is why if you ever sign up for a weight lifting course, it will more than likely be 4 out of 7 days at most with cardio on non weight lifting days. BUT BECAUSE THIS IS BASED ON A VIDEO GAME WORLD WHERE PEOPLE CAN SWING SWORDS AS BIG AS THEIR BODIES, I decided to throw out that bit of logic and give Varric a near DBZ level of excessive training regiment XP.**

 **Another fun fact: Native American tribes really did use plant toxins to make war paint and dyes, and other tribes would use those very same mixtures for poisonous arrowheads!**

 **Sorry there's going to be yet ANOTHER FREAKING EXTENSION OF THE EPILOGUE, but hopefully it will all pay off by the end of it. I'm hoping to god that the next part is the last one for Lyn's story because while I could write mundane day to day interactions between characters for hours on end, I really want to get to writing Eliwood/Hector's story, because I have a LOT of stuff already planned out for that (at least 5 chapters worth counting intervals).**

 **P.S. I feel if I don't elaborate someone will ask about it: Varric was able to learn to read and write in the span of a couple weeks because the only difference in Elibian language was a matter of what symbols were used. It also is self explanatory as to why Varric was speaking the same language yet illiterate in that language. It's like how Romaji is literally just japanese using the latin alphabet. So to compare it's as if Varric used romaji and Elibe uses Katakana. It's the same language just with different symbols.**


	21. Lyn's Story: Finale

**A/N: TMW you're looking through google docs to find your notes on plans for future chapters, and think you had completely forgotten to write down an awesome idea because you can't find it in your notes, so you do a character's name search and get that idea made real in a fully written out chapter 13 of Eliwood's story. Wow.**

 **Review responses!**

 **Guest: I could fricken kiss you; you gave me an amazing idea that lets me keep all that character development in and then some. Seriously, THANK YOU!**

 **UT Midnight Sky: Just an epilogue to Lyn's story, no way in inferno, paradiso, or purgatorio am I stopping until I've written a narrative of the full game and then some.**

 **Enriks: They will be merged. Some (by which I just mean at least one) of the Hector exclusive chapters wont be included but Farina and Karla will be included for sure, as will other Hector Exclusive things. Eliwood, however, will still be the emphasized character compared to Hector in terms of who is main protagonist, because really it is Eliwood's story.**

 **JP I'm Italian: I've made a note to commit Seppuku later for my transgression. I apologize. Also, you were wondering how good you were at predicting things? Because f#ck I didn't expect someone right off the bat to ask if that tome is Apocalypse. Guess I'm not as clever as I thought. The tome is not Apocalypse, if for no other reason than holy frick that would make Varric a god among men if he learned how to properly use it, and as I've said before I have no intention of making him a major combatant. Your guesses are however pretty much as close as one could possibly be. Except for what you said about Chloe, SHE'S EAGLER'S DAUGHTER, REMEMBER? Wallace IS like an uncle to her though. And yes I shamelessly stole that bit from RNKR. I freaking loved that bit and felt it was a great way to set up some development for Wil later down the line.**

 **Heavenschoir: If Rekka No Ken Retold isn't your number one then go read that so my story can become your third fav.**

 **Ringlord7: I'm...uh….to put it lightly my grammar checking is what one would call "fucking abysmal". I DID grammar check this chapter, twice actually. like I said, f#cking abysmal… and don't worry about Varric. He's still weaker than every single person he's travelled with excluding Serra for obvious reasons (and including Nils, the kid who can dodge basically anything. Oh and the Serra thing is gonna change not too far from now). His training was to boost his ENDURANCE, not his strength. Compared to the like of Sain's strength of Kent's skill he doesn't hold a candle. Even though trained in thief style combat, it's basic training and he isn't remotely as quick or agile as a professional like Matthew. As you'll quickly learn in Eliwood's story, his tome isn't meant for offense, it's meant for utility. The last thing I want is for Varric to turn into a front line fighter; his magic use will mostly be for the sake of plot advancement, not combat. Heck, I haven't even finished giving him abilities (don't worry though, only one more and even then it's a new ability per se) You'll see…**

 **And26169: My dad's a soccer coach and i learn Muay Thai from a professional, so knowing about exercise routines and the science of them kinda comes with the territory XD. As for the dye thing, I have a slight obsession with colors and their history. That's the simplest way to word it.**

* * *

"Why are we coming all the way out here again?!" Varric complained as Matthew led him across increasingly rocky terrain. The two had already spent a week going over how to properly use a dagger before Matthew declared their basic lessons over, leaving Varric wondering what the next part of the regiment was.

"You said you wanted to learn how to fight with a dagger." Matthew responded. "You aren't gonna beat anyone with a sword or lance if you cant weave your way in close for a throat stab."

"Yeah, you said go for throat about a million times when showing me form. We need to be an hour's hike from Caelin because…?"

Matthew sighed. "Because the base of these cliffs is the rockiest area around. Like I Said when we left, we need to work on your coordination. Learn to move swiftly on rocky terrain like this and you'll be able to fight on even ground no problem."

* * *

Varric was grateful he wore ragged clothing for training; if he'd worn anything more it'd be ruined. His lower body was covered in cuts and bruises from countless trips and falls. He gripped his dagger, having been forced to learn to ignore the pain of gripping things with a sliced palm. "Let's keep going!"

Matthew twirled the hunk of blunt metal he'd been using in place of an actual blade. "Chloe really did up your endurance for this stuff. Still, you should use a bit of Vulnerary. We don't need all those small cuts to turn into nastier wounds. Besides…" he jerked a thumb to the sack he'd brought. "It's time for lunch!"

* * *

The two sat next to a fire, meat cooking over it. As Varric rubbed the medicine onto his wounds, he looked to Matthew. "Ya know, I just realized how screwed I would've been if I hadn't been dropped alongside someone like Lyn."

Matthew turned his head. "What do you mean by that?"

Varric stared into the fire. "Where I'm from is nothing like Elibe. Plenty of people don't spend much time in the wilderness at all. I was gonna say that it was impressive that someone who normally does work in cities is as good at survival skills as you are, but I guess it's actually pretty normal stuff in this world…"

Matthew nodded slowly. "Yep… to be honest, most if not all of us were wondering about where you're from even before you dropped that surprise on us. No one wants to be the one to actually ask about it though; it's been obvious from the start you'd rather be as vague as possible about your homeland."

Varric shuffled uncomfortably. "It's just-"

Matthew held up a hand. "You don't need to say anything about it. None of us hold it against you; you're open as can be about everything else-"

Both their heads snapped direction as they heard a rustle in the brush. Matthew reached around behind him. "Who's there?!"

To Matthew's surprise and Varric's barely hidden glee, a young man with green hair and nomadic clothes collapsed at their feet.

* * *

Varric was visibly cheery as the two returned to Castle Caelin.

Matthew let out a laugh. "I assume we're gonna run into him again somewhere down the line?"

Varric grinned. "You know it."

Matthew rubbed his stomach. "Seriously, though, let's get some food for ourselves. Can't believe that guy ate four portions worth…"

* * *

2 weeks later.

Lyn ran up to Florina in the hallway. "Florina, have you-"

"He's in the archive." Florina answered in advance.

Lyn sighed. "Of course…" she muttered.

At that Florina became slightly frantic. "W-well he needs to learn about this land if he wants to get by, so he's going to need to read up as much as he can!"

Lyn nodded. "I know, it's just… Even after Matthew finished with him, he just spends that much more time holed up reading and studying maps."

Florina immediately saw something was up. "Lyn, what're you worried over…?"

"...I don't think Varric is going to stay in Caelin much longer."

* * *

Varric became increasingly more excited as he double, triple, and quadruple checked his work, before doing a double fist pump. "FOUND YOU!" He yelled, and almost immediately, despite being alone, ducked down in embarrassment. " _...this has to be where it's from, I finally have a location! It's always off the path between here and Rebecca's village, assuming Wil wasn't trying to throw me off or anything when I asked where his hometown is…_

* * *

Varric sprinted through the castle and barracks, leaving notes in several rooms, before he finally reached the door to Lyn's chambers, holding one last note. He stood staring at the piece of paper in his hands, but as he reached towards the door it opened with Lyn standing there. "Uh… hi." Varric said redfaced.

Lyn laughed for a moment but her smile quickly became sorrowful. In that moment, Varric felt like he's been shot in the chest.

"Lyn, I…" he tried to start, but quickly faltered.

"...I'm not going to lie and say I'll be fine." Lyn began as she took Varric and sat him down.

Varric became alarmed. "Wh-what?! Why?!""

Lyn looked out. "I'm… I'm scared. I don't want it to happen again…"

"What are you talking about-" Varric started but quickly cut himself off. " _She means her tribe...but what do I have to do with that?"_

Lyn looked him in the face. "I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't come along; even if Lundgren wasn't involved, I might not be alive if not for you…"

Again, Varric felt like someone had put a bullet in his chest.

"You gave me hope, you guided me, you were there for me at all times...I never realized how reliant I was on your support." Before Varric could think of a response she went on. "I never noticed until after Lundgren's defeat; that was when you started acting out of your own interests instead of everyone else's, and I became more involved in this heiress business." Lyn got up and began pacing. "It's selfish of me, really. I'm upset because you're finally living for yourself; this is what I've been asking you to do since months ago…"

Immediately Varric got up and took her hand. His eyes were watering. "No, you're not selfish. You're the most selfless person I've ever know; everything you've ever done has been for the sake of others. Don't ever think it's selfish to want something yourself." His grip tightened and his eyes shut. "I'm the one who's selfish! Ever since the incident I stopped thinking about others, I only thought about my own affairs…" Tears began streaming down his face. "I don't want to say goodbye, but I also never even thought about how you all would feel… I'm so sorry." From there he broke down into sobs.

"I don't… I don't want you to leave…" Lyn managed before she embraced the tactician, crying softly as well.

The two sat, crying into one another in near silence. No more words needed to be said between the tactician and warrior.

* * *

As Varric approached the edge of Caelin, he looked back at the castle. " _..._ I'm sorry, guys…"

"You should be!" A familiar pegasus knight scolded. Varric jumped and turned to see not just Lyn, but Florina, Wil, the two knights, Lucius, and even Chloe and Wallace as well.

Chloe scoffed. "No goodbyes save a scribbled note? I thought I trained you to be a bigger man than that!"

Varric looked to Lyn, who simply smiled. "What can I say? They insisted they come say goodbye."

Sain walked up and lightly punched Varric. "Honestly, can't believe you thought you could just slip away."

"I…" Varric murmured. Wallace began laughing.

"Greenhorn, saying goodbye is never easy, but not saying goodbye will haunt you forever!" His laugh subsided to a chuckle. "Besides, you seem pretty sure this isn't the last we'll see of each other." He added with a wink.

"Whatever's in store for us, we'll be ready." Lucius assured.

Kent walked over holding a bag. "Here, you'll want more provisions than what you took."

Varric flushed at his poor preparation and gratefully took the satchel. "Guys… thanks."

Sain smirked and shrugged. "Honestly, what will you even do without us?"

Lyn stepped forward. "I'm sorry for making things more difficult, Varric, I really am…"

Varric shook his head. "It was best for both of us." He reached into his bag. "Um...could you close your eyes?"

Lyn blinked. "Sure…?"

Varric took something from his bag and placed it around Lyn's neck. She opened her eyes to see a familiar glow around her neck.

Florina smiled. "That's beautiful…"

Lucius nodded. "A very resourceful use of those shards."

Lyn examined the necklace. It was composed entirely of dulled cobalt shards strung together with the exception of one brightly glowing one. "Varric… it's perfect." She said smiling wide.

Varric scratched the back of his head, face flushed red. "After you went to all that trouble with the yes, I couldn't just-" he was interrupted by an embrace from Lyn.

"Don't ever hesitate to call this place home."

Varric slowly came to his senses and returned the embrace. He spoke quietly. "There's so much I want to tell you...so much I can't tell you…"

"I understand, Varric…"

Varric broke away just far enough to look her in the eyes. "Just know: when things seem darkest, I'll be there with help. I swear by it on my status as "Master Tactician.""

Lyn took it in and smiled warmly. "...and I'll never give up. I swear on it by _my_ title of "Peerless Warrior.""

The two stayed there in each other's arms for several moments before the first rays of the sun shone on them.

"...I have to go." Varric said mournfully.

Lyn broke away. "I don't know what your goals are now...but I have no doubt you'll succeed."

* * *

Varric looked back at the waving group. " _I swear, come a year's time, I'll be back for all of you_." He put his hood over his head and waved back before turning and heading towards the mountains. "Next stop: Bramimond's Shrine…"

* * *

 **A/N: IT'S FINALLY DONE. THANK FRICKING NAGA IT'S DONE. I mean yeah there's the rest of the game but I ACTUALLY FINISHED LYN'S STORY, i never thought in a million years I'd actually get this far and I actually feel like crying tears of joy holy crap this is amazing.**

 **Please please PLEASE review, not just this chapter but a review of the whole story up until now as well if possible; lemme know what my biggest strengths and weaknesses are - I beg of you.**


	22. Interval 7: A Demon of Sacae

**I thought for days on end debating whether or not I should do interlude chapters or skip to the next story. Originally I was going to just move straight on to Eliwood's story but I want to throw in this dream. Other than dreams though I AM skipping ahead. I plan on having characters gradually reveal events that happened across the timeskip, but if I don't like how that plays out I'll go into further depth with a Side Stories thing like what Rekka No Ken Retold did (don't think I've said this quite enough but that story is freaking amazing).**

 **Also the dye coloring, to elaborate, is sorta camo but not really. It's based on the mixture of green on Varric's dagger. It CAN act as camo but it's not spotted or anything, it's rows of gradual shifts in shades of green, like waves of color.**

 **Review Responses!**

 **wingedcatgirl: like I've said, I'm godawful at proofreading grammar. I plan to reupload chapters with grammatical corrections. Your enthusiasm is very much appreciated! And yeah, Varric is an alias. When Varric spoke of Bramimond's shrine he wasn't referring to a canonical location. If it was the place where you get Apocalypse in FE6, Varric would've simply used his knowledge of that game to go there. Varric had to find this particular shrine through triangulation and all that charting stuff (which I do know how it works, despite my terminology just then). It'll all be made clear in due time.**

 **JP I'm Italian: Lyn's affection for Varric was platonic, and Varric knew this.**

 **Really wish I could pm you so I could privately ask you what you mean about GFI. I've been keeping up with his dragon quest 5 story ever since I got into DQ8 last year. I didn't notice anything in particular out of the ordinary though.**

 **Oh btw you're making like Mario and triple jumping to conclusions, mate! He's going to "Bramimond's Shrine," NOT "Bramimond** _ **at**_ **the Shrine"**

 **Brilliant Anon: as hilarious as the idea of Bramimond muttering "5 more minutes" to an annoyed Athos is, I never said Varric was going to see Bramimond himself.**

 **Ringlord7: Technically I have a Beta...but half the time i'm so excited to upload I don't wait for him to check it. I have issues. (Yeah, and this is why your grammar sucks, asshole. Also, LEARN HOW TO CAPITALIZE THE LETTER I, YA BELLEND! -Prower's Beta)**

* * *

 **And now for something completely different to anything so far.**

* * *

Varric sat up with a keter class migraine. " _Ugh...5 days out and the dreams are back...now where am I?_ " He took in his surroundings and noticed two things: one, his legs were dangling off the ledge of a floating bit of terrain, and two, the world was entirely made of said floating bits of terrain scattered about a green ether-world. "...What, is this the freakin Fade?" He murmured aloud.

"In spite of your sarcasm, you are correct." A calm and collected voice responded from behind him. Varric jolted forward in surprise, and subsequently fell off the ledge. His heart didn't even have enough time to reach his throat before a rugged arm grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back up.

"Oh no ya don't!" A separate, deeper voice cried with an air of smugness.

Varric fell on his knees as his adrenaline skyrocketed. When he turned to see the new arrivals he let out a long sigh. "...So it actually is the Fade. Wonderful."

Before him were a dwarf with orange-red hair and a crossbow across his back, and a bald elf with a wooden staff. The elf spoke first. "I apologize for startling you. I assumed you were expecting us."

Varric got to his feet. "Why would you think that?! I don't even know how the hell I got here!"

The dwarf chuckled. "Well, for starters, you've borrowed our names!"

"Lo-Look, I panicked, Ok?!" Varric sputtered. "That was another case of me waking up having no idea where I was!"

The dwarf waved him off. "Easy, kid. We aren't gonna break your kneecaps. I'm willing to loan you my name for free, just this once. I'm still in a good mood after finally getting to visit this place."

"Yes, that aspect still puzzles me, but regardless…" the elf began before looking at the tactician. "You DON'T know why you are here? I have a working theory as to why the Fade called you here."

"Why is it still a theory?" the dwarf interjected with a side jab. "We literally just saw you were right."

The elf rolled his eyes. "Two instances of a theory being followed are not evidence that the theory will ALWAYS hold true. My research even indicates-"

"Alright, we get it!" The dwarf yelled, clearly wary of triggering a lecture. "Just tell the kid in your mumbo jumbo speak about the vision thing."

The elf sighed. "You… fine." he turned back to the tactician. "You know who we are, so I presume you know some things about the overlap between our worlds. Living beings journey into the Fade all the time. The Fade is an accumulation of stray thoughts, suppressed emotions, possible futures, and the dreams of all things. From this swirl of chaos it creates a semblance of order. Many journey to the Fade but few ever retain memory of doing so. The more one learns while in the Fade, the less likely they are to recall their experience. It makes researching the Fade an excruciating task…" the elf shook his head. "Because one can look in any direction and learn a myriad of truths, most never recall any journey into the fade, at least not the journeys that occur as they dream. When one purposefully enters the Fade as opposed to being called by the fade itself, the rules change quite drastically." Despite spilling out a wealth of info, the elf only became more enthusiastic as he spoke; the dwarf looked about ready to pass out, however.

Varric broke in before his brain melted from overload. "Okay so I'm here because this realm has decided it wants me, among many others, to see a vision. What kind of vision? Where do I look for it?"

The elf laughed. "You don't need to look anywhere, it will come to you when you are ready. The Fade tries to create a loose order out of pure chaos. Many visions are the chaotic raw emotions of those relevant to the one who is granted a vision." the elf patted himself down. "I wish I had been permitted to have belongings, I really do wish I could have written down what I learned earlier…"

The dwarf jerked a thumb to a seemingly empty area. "Oy, Chuckles, I'm pretty sure this place is telling us to leg it."

Varric gave him a quizzical look. "There's nothing there."

The elf shook his head. "Perhaps not from your point of view. The two of us had best take this opportunity to leave with most of our memory intact."

The dwarf proceeded to walk on empty space and half his body disappeared in some invisible crossing. He gave Varric a quick thumbs up as he vanished from sight. "Good luck on whatever it is you're up to, and don't take our names for granted!"

Varric was left alone, more confused than ever. "What-" he began before there was a flash of light and Varric found himself on a single small floating platform overlooking a landmass. Varric wasn't sure how, but he inherently knew the location. " _This is Sacae?"_ A single spark flew out and hit the grass, and immediately the plains were ablaze. From the smoke materialed human forms that became bandit silhouettes. A shadowy figure wielding a blood red sword appeared in the distance. " _And there's Karel."_ Varric thought. The figure began cutting down bandits and leaving a literally trail of bodies in its wake. Each kill was more gruesome than the last as the screams became louder and louder until Varric had one eye shut and his hands over his ears. He didn't know if it was morbid curiosity or some unseen force, but he couldn't bring himself to look away entirely. The shadows changed from those of bandits to those of soldiers as well, both mercenaries and guards that stood between the swordsman and his targets as the bandits had long since stopped fighting back. To Varric's horror, the figure sliced clean through anything in its path between itself and its targets. More screams echoed; there were more than simply cries of pain, but screams of fear from villagers and nomads as their bodies were added to the wake. Varric wanted to run. He wanted to look away. He wanted to forget everything he was seeing. Blood had coated the blade so thoroughly that it constantly dripped. The silhouette was closer now, and Varric could make out nomadic patterns on the clothes and the crimson blade.

What he noticed next made his blood turn to ice. Around the swordsman's neck was a blue glow. Another bandit was decapitated and another carved up like a wild animal. The silhouette took form and Varric saw a familiar pair of green eyes. _"No… no no no, that can't be her, that can't-"_ his thoughts were interrupted as a nomad yelled out in terror as he was grabbed by the chest and pulled in. Despite the noise, Varric could hear every sound made by the killer in incredible detail.

Her voice was chilling and she spoke in a whisper of tranquil fury. "When you abandoned me, did you think I would die alone and forgotten? Or perhaps you were truly foolish enough to think I would simply give up?" She slowly shoved the blade through his chest. As the smoke cleared one could see the nomad had remnants of a chieftain's outfit.

Varric's head began to spin as he tried and failed to keep breathing. He fell to his knees and began hacking and coughing from the gruesome sight, the smoke, and the shock.

"The Taliver took the lives of my family. They destroyed everything I had ever known. But they're gone now, I've made sure of that." Her breath was ragged, not from exhaustion but from restraint. Around her were other nomads both warrior and civilian alike. Those who weren't bleeding out were crouched in fear. "But then I realized: the Taliver didn't take _everything_ from me. They left me my birthright." She scanned the nomads around her. "A birthright that YOU denied me!" Her tone rose only for a moment before returned to tranquility. She spoke in a barely audible whisper.

"I am the last of the Lorca...none of you have a right to exist." the killer proclaimed before slitting the nomad's throat. In a flurry she slaughtered the rest, before turning away. She flung her blade downwards with a flick, and one could now see that the crimson hue wasn't inherent; the blade was soaked to the core in blood. Varric looked up in terror to see the killer approaching him, behind her a blazing inferno engulfing a mountain of bodies, and a trial of blood copious enough to create a river. Around her neck was not many crystals, but one. Before Varric's eyes it began to change color as 'Lyn' raised her sword.

"This…" she began as the color changed from shining blue to sickly green, and brought her balde down. Everything went black. Varric could not feel himself; he only heard four words. "...is who I am."

* * *

Varric's eyes shot open and he lay where he had slept, motionless. His blood was chilled and despite his terrors, his body was bone dry. He didn't know how long he blanked, but for what felt like ages not a single thought ran through his mind. There was only what he could remember of the nightmare: A wake of bodies and blood soaked blade, green eyes staring down at him without any humanity to be seen in them, and her declaration. "' _This… is who… I am…'"_

* * *

 **Okay yes I took liberties with the Fade. It's supposed to give visions of someone's PERSONAL hell, but I'd say what Varric saw qualifies as a possible personal hell for himself. And yes dwarves normally don't ever go to the Fade but they CAN be dragged into it by other people.**

 **So what do you all think? Just about this chapter in general. I didn't mean for there to be so much establishing stuff but you know how Solas is, the guy talks a LOT when it comes to his research…**

 **Do you guys want to see more dreams? I'm actually trying to gather up as many possible scenarios for a dream vision thing as I can. For those who haven't caught on, all these dreams reflect different video games. The first was the Velvet Room from Persona, the second the coach from Hand of Fate (specifically Hand of Fate 2), and this was The Fade from Dragon Age. That probably gives you enough of a motif to work with if you want to suggest other dream scenarios.**

 **Again, lemme know if you want more dreams like this before moving on to Eliwood's story! (Dont worry Hector's story content will be included, but from a narrative perspective it'll pretty much be about Eliwood more than the other Lords.)**


	23. Chapter 11: Hex Breaking

**A/N: OKAY LETS CLEAR STUFF UP. My fault not everything went through clearly cause for that to happen you'd have to be a bit of a lore buff for Dragon Age. Anyways last chapter to be clear was SUPPOSED to be excessively over the top. The reason for that and the reason that Varric has never expressed a fear of what was shown to him before is that as I sort of explained through Solas, the Fade is made up of dreams and emotion. It drags people in and shows them a personal hell based on those two things. Varric does not actively worry about Lyn being a psychopath (well...he might now) but that deosnt mean the idea wouldn't be absolutely mortifying to him. So what he saw is most certainly a personal hell. It's Varric's subconcious fears mixed in with the suppressed emotions of Lyn and cranked up to 11.**

 **I intended to take a longer break than this after Lyn's story before uploading Eliwood's first chapter, but I wanted to break a curse that seems to have been placed on one of my readers where every author they DM goes on a 6 month minimum hiatus immediately after.**

 **Review Responses:**

 **JP I'm Italian: WOAHKAY DUDE LET'S NOT GET TOO EAGER. In more than one way, I mean geez why do people keep recommending me Eroge games these days?! Within a short timespan someone told me i should play "Overwhored" and now this. I can barely write romance as is, let alone anything "Intimate" and for that reason I'll be ignoring that aspect of the circle of life entirely. But if I can think of a fitting game reference I probably WILL throw in a dream where Varric and the Legion are all living normal real world lives.  
Anyways the title was SUPPOSED to make you think it'd be Karel, so I'm glad that worked, and have fun on Vaca.**

 **Brilliant Anon: it's never really confirmed whether or not the other remnants also just ended up dying to bandits or if Lyn simply doesn't consider them her tribe mates anymore. And there's a big difference between what was glimpsed abd Karel: Karel isnt actually angry or bloodthirsty, he's just obsessed with fighting strong people.**

* * *

"So, YOU'RE the legendary tactician of the Caelin heritage dispute, huh? Not gonna lie, thought you'd look more…"

"Professional? Yeah, sorry to disappoint." Varric replied as he finished eating. Next to him at the table was a girl with two green ponytails, and a bandana around her head. "Thanks again for, ya know, not leaving me to die…"

"You're awfully lucky." The girl's father chuckled from across the table. "Most WOULD leave you to die. Bandits have been an increasingly dire issue, most refuse to spare kindness for strangers. But as this village's magistrate, I will not allow us to slip into such a state of selfishness!"

"We get it, father, there's no need for a speech." The girl said with a giggle.

Varric cleaned himself up. "So, Rebecca, you're not only an archer but a pretty darn good cook as well! So young too."

The girl huffed slightly. "Hey! I'm 15, not a little kid! And besides, you're not exactly a full grown man yourself!"

"Fair point." Varric conceded. "...actually, to get on track, I was looking for this place, I didn't end up here on accident."

The magistrate took interest at that. "And what exactly did you come here for?"

"A certain noble who I have business with should be passing through here very soon. Until he arrives I have nowhere else to go." Varric shifted uncomfortably. "Er…..do you know a place i could stay nearby? I can pay whoever gives me lodging!" he added quickly.

The magistrate laughed. "Ohoho! You worry too much! For someone who did so much to help Wil, it would be a pleasure to provide you with a place to stay!"

Varric let out a sigh of relief. "T-Thank you sir. I promise not to bother anyone."

Rebecca eyed him "Wait, if you've got money, why were you out in the middle of that deserted area where I found you?

Varric scratched his head. "It's…..a REALLY long story. The bottom line, though, is that I was acquiring this!" As Varric spoke he went to his small pile of belongings and retrieved what looked like a small harp, adorned with silver and made from bone in an intricate, ancient pattern.

"It's beautiful…" Rebecca gasped.

"That is not a normal instrument…" The magistrate said after finding his voice.

Varric shook his head. "Have you heard of the musicians who play songs that can turn the tide of battle? This is an instrument used by the likes of them. I spent months learning how to use it in the mountains, by the time I was done…" Varric laughed in embarrassment. "I had completely lost track of where I was headed. All I remembered was the general direction I needed to go, I couldn't remember a single trail…"

Rebecca burst out laughing. "Well you may be a tactician, but you sure aren't a navigator!"

Varric laughed in embarrassment, but stopped short as he put his instrument away "wait, wait wait wait where is it?!"

Before Varric even had time to fully panic, Rebecca held out a small, neatly folded bag. "You mean this? If it's important than you're REALLY lucky I stopped that bandit from knicking it."

Varric sighed with relief. "Thank gods almighty…"

"Rebecca!" Her father scolded. "Why didn't you hand him that immediately?"

Varric held up a hand "it's fine, don't worry sir! All that matters is that it's safe…"

Rebecca's curiosity got the better of her. "Sooooo…" she began drumming her fingers. "...what's in it?"

"REBECCA!"

Varric laughed "see for yourself."

Rebecca eagerly opened up the sack and held up its contents in awe.

Her father was equally impressed. "That is a robe worthy of a lord."

"It was given to me by Lord Hausen before I left Caelin." Varric explained.

"The coloring is beautiful!" Rebecca exclaimed.

"It was done by...someone very close to me." Varric replied cryptically.

Rebecca opened her mouth to speak, but a sharp look from her father dissuaded the notion.

* * *

Varric yawned as he got out of his bed. " _My god, it's so great to sleep in an actual bed again…"_

There was a knock before Rebecca appeared with scissors. "Alright, you're finally up. Now you can clean yourself up! You look like you just stumbled out of the wilds like a hermit finding a city."

Varric sighed. "I hate haircuts…" he grumbled as he let Rebecca lead him to a porch outside.

* * *

"There! You look halfway presentable now!" Rebecca said cheerily as Varric examined his reflection. In the water bucket.

"Yeah…wow, it's almost like how i looked when I left Caelin..." Varric thought aloud as he examined his hair, which had gone from reaching his shoulders and being knife-cut to a startling image of a hanamura haircut.

"Now wash up!" Rebecca commanded.

"I can't thank you enough for all this…" Varric began.

"Oh, stop thanking us so much! It's like you've never encountered hospitality!" Rebecca scolded.

"Oh….well, at least let me repay you in another way." Varric said as he retrieved his instrument, and sat out front of the house on a stool. After a few moments he began to play, and music filled the entire area. [Google the following: "Serenade of Water - Harp - Legend of Zelda"]

"..." Varric finished and opened his eyes, and to his surprise there were several people watching him.

"That was beautiful…" Rebecca finally managed.

"Young man, you have a gift." her father added.

Varric blushed and shook his head. "I'm sure it's the instrument doing the work, I just-" suddenly Varric's head whipped around so fast one would think his head would snap off, grabbed a black book and turned to the magistrate. "Go inside, and bar the door." he then turned to Rebecca. "Grab your bow and quiver, NOW."

Stunned by the sudden gravity to his tone, the two did so. At the same time a yell echoed. "THIS PLACE IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!"

The moment rebecca was back outside, Varric grabbed her by the wrist and began to run, book in one hand and instrument across his back.

"Wh-Where are we going?!" Rebecca cried as she looked back over her shoulder to see a group of bandits, lead by a green haired and green bearded brute.

"To get help!" Varric said doing his best to keep his cool. " _I didn't expect them to arrive so soon. Not a day too late..."_

* * *

"M'Lord, there seems to be a commotion in the village ahead." A lavender haired knight, clearly a veteran, reported to a young redheaded boy.

Eliwood's brow furrowed. "I can hear the clamor all the way from here…"

A sea-foam haired cavalier whose hair fell over his eyes rode ahead. "I'll investigate-" he began, but stopped short as his horse reared up from nearly being barreled into.

Rebecca had her hands on her knees. "So...much...sprinting…"

Eliwood blinked. "Wait a moment...aren't you-?"

Varric held up a finger as he caught his breath. Finally he spoke. "Explanation later, helping the village now, okay?"

"Excuse us." the veteran interrupted, getting ready to draw his weapon. "But who are you?"

"Ah! Pardon me, Marcus." Eliwood apologized. "This young man is Varric, I met him during the trouble in Caelin a year ago. If memory serves correct, he is a fantastic military advisor. If not for him, Lady Lyndis and her grandfather likely wouldn't have survived Lundgren's uprising."

…..

"Alright, now that that's settled, let's get to work." Varric said with a feeling of nostalgia. "But first, we're gonna need a higher headcount."

"And where do you propose we get more aid?" Marcus asked.

"Right over there, where two very brave men are already at work." Varric said with a smile as one of two axe wielding men made his way over to the approaching lord's group, while his companion went utterly berserker on 3 bandits, laughing all the while.

Varric ran ahead to meet up with his old friend. "Good to see ya Dorcas!"

Dorcas smiled. "Been a long time, boss. So I didn't imagine that music earlier." he jerked a thumb towards his companion. "The crazy guy is Bartre, strong headed but has a good heart. Also has a knack for somehow not getting killed in his recklessness."

"Er, excuse me, but shouldn't we be joining in the fight?" Eliwood interrupted as the others approached the reunion, Rebecca as puzzled as him. Dorcas and Varric both laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Varric conceded. "Guess I've gotten too used to bandits...We'll catch up later Dorcas, for now go with plan F.F.A.."

Dorcas grinned and put a hand to his neck before popping it. "Bartre's gonna love that." He quickly ran off. Varric took notice of how much Dorcas had improved, jogging at the speed he used to sprint, and taking out foes with his handaxe with much better accuracy.

"He's incredible…" Lowen awed as the two axemen fought back to back leaving little left for the others, the result of their combination being the efficiency of a professional Berserker

"A man who clearly fights on a regular basis." Marcus observed. "Come, Lowen! We mustn't stand idly by!" Barely waiting for Varric's say so, the two knights rode off to secure the far exit to the village.

"Um...what do we do?" Rebecca asked tapping on Varric's shoulder, itching to help.

"Follow me. Only fire when necessary." Varric replied as he snuck around the the back of the preoccupied bandits.

* * *

"GAH! You IDIOTS!" the leader cried. "I AM _GROZNYI_! I deserve FAR more competent bandits than this!" he roared as the two archers guarding him held their aim. Suddenly, there was a THUNK and a SHINK as one archer fell dead with an arrow in his head, and the other went limp from a stab to the neck courtesy of a very large dagger. The leader turned in surprise to the backstabber. "HEY! Do you know how hard good archers are to come by?!" He cried in annoyance and anger as he drew a steel axe from his back.

Varric removed his dagger and held it just as he'd been taught. "Last chance to give up." He said curtly.

Groznyi bellowed out a laugh. "You think you can take me pipsqueak? I'll make mincemeat outta you, then I'll take care of the rest myself if I have to!"

"I'll take that as a no. Unfortunate." Varric smiled as he signaled, and Groznyi fell to one knee as pain shot up his right leg.

"AGH! WHERE DID YOU-?!" He yelled before Varric walked up.

"Are you SURE you don't give up?"

Groznyi responded by raising his axe, but was momentarily blinded by a gleam in the brush.

"Smile you sunnuva bitch!" Rebecca yelled as she let the arrow fly. Hitting him right between the eyes, the behemoth of a man fell dead where he kneeled, leaving a gaping Varric.

" _Did...did she just…?"_

Rebecca walked over and kicked the bandit's corpse in rage. "NEVER MESS WITH MY VILLAGE AGAIN!" Varric eventually pulled her back.

"Rebecca! He's DEAD. You can stop."

Rebecca snapped out of her fury. "Hm? ...oh, sorry!" She said a little too cheerily. "I sometimes get carried away when I'm angry…"

* * *

"Not one of them escaped." Marcus reported as he met Eliwood, who'd spent his time fighting off the bandits who were attempting break-ins.

Eliwood sheathed his rapier. "That's good to know, and thankfully none of them managed to hurt anyone."

Bartre flexed a muscle. "Those who ain't dead are hogtied up! All in a day's work for Bartre the Brave! Bwahahaha!" He laughed and Varric found himself hard pressed not to do so as well.

Eliwood turned to said tactician. "I must say, I saw you take out a couple of bandits; I didn't take you for a combatant."

Varric shook his head. "A year ago I didn't know how to defend myself at all. I've spent this last year training constantly to rectify that problem. And I picked up a few other tricks too!"

"By tricks, do you mean that...uh, well, really REALLY ominous looking tome?" Lowen asked, before being lightly hit over the back of the head by Marcus.

"Lowen! How many times must I tell you: dark magic is not itself an evil practice! Ever since that incident with the druid you've…" Marcus trailed off before clearing his throat. "My apologies, Varric. Lowen has hasty judgement."

"It's fine." Varric shrugged off. "He's not wrong, this tome is an odd one, but you're right: it's not itself evil, only as malevolent as the one wielding it."

Rebecca walked out of her home with her father. "Lord Eliwood...we are in your debt." he said, bowing. "If you hadn't come along, I don't know how we could've dealt with them."

Eliwood held up a hand. "It's a ruler's duty to protect the people."

The village leader sighed. "Were that only true for all lands M'Lord, the people of Laus no longer know of any such protection. Their ruler busies himself too much with preparation for war. I know, my brother lived in Laus till but a few days ago."

Marcus's brow furrowed. "This is deeply concerning, Lord Eliwood. Laus's target is most likely another Lycian territory…"

No one saw it, but Varric bit down on his tongue.

"Yes, we will need to further investigate at some point…." Eliwood turned to the the tactician "But we mustn't dwell. It was good to see you once more Varric-"

"Oh no you don't!" Varric interrupted. "We're coming with ya. How do you expect to find your father without any leads?"

Eliwood blinked. "How did you know about that?" Marcus tensed up.

Varric waved them off. "Relax, I did some rumor investigating, you'd be surprised what info I can manage to gather up. I know the Marquesse is missing, so obviously you've set out to find him. For as long as you need me, I'm at your service!"

Marcus relaxed slightly. "While I'm slightly reluctant to admit so, your help would vastly improve our chances of success. A tactical mind is an important tool of battle."

Eliwood smiled. "Thank you, Varric. I promise you won't go uncompensated."

"If the boss is in, I'm in." Dorcas said walking up.

"And if Dorc's in, I'm in!" Bartre added.

Rebecca broke away from her father. "E-Excuse me, but...L-Lord Eliwood, if you'll allow, I'd like to join you!" Rebecca said almost shyly.

"This group is growing awfully fast." Lowen observed for no one in particular.

"I can handle a bow extremely well, i hunt most everyday!" Rebecca went on.

"Well-" Eliwood began with uncertainty.

"We'll gladly have you aboard Rebecca!" Varric said cheerily. "But first make sure you're father is okay with it, of course."

* * *

As the group began to head out, Varric stayed behind for a minute or two, speaking to the town magistrate. "...so I think I may be able to help her find her brother as well."

The leader was visibly impressed. "Just where does all this knowledge come from?"

Varric smiled."Tactician's secret. Don't worry, I'll make sure Rebecca returns to you alive and well, I'd sooner die myself than lose anyone under my guidance."

The magistrate shook hands. "I place her in your care, thank you for all you've done."

"HEY! VARRIC! HURRY UP!" Rebecca called, waving from atop Lowen's horse.

"That's my cue." Varric said with a short bow before running off, instrument and tome across his back, and dagger at his side. " _And so part 2 begins…"_

 **A/N: Part 2 begins indeed, and with it will come SO many fun ideas now that I REALLY have freedom to go a bit crazy. After all, a LOT can happen in a year.**


	24. Interval 8: How's the Wife?

**A/N: I think that title makes it obvious who the star of this interval is gonna be. This officially marks the start of Varric having one on one interactions with as many characters as possible, and hopefully every time I'll be able to develop Varric's current conversation partner or better reinforce what traits we already know they possess.**

* * *

As the group moved on, nature took its course and Varric and Dorcas soon ended up tailing the group. Varric stretched his arms out. "Man, I feel right at home again travelling like this!"

Dorcas smiled. "You really haven't changed a bit."

"Waddya mean?"

"Your attitude, mannerisms, speaking, all of it is as unique as a year ago."

Varric winced. "Really? I thought maybe I was starting to pass as somewhat normal…"

Dorcas patted the tactician on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you do. When you know the full story, though, it becomes obvious."

Varric sighed. "Guess that makes sense… a-anyways, how are things back home?"

Dorcas's gazed at the east horizon. "Thanks to you and her ladyship, I havent had to worry about getting Natalie's medicine. And it's also thanks to you guys that I know she's in good hands whenever I leave for work."

Varric was puzzled at that. " _I'd always wondered how he was able to up and leave for so long…"_ "How so?"

"When Lundgren got taken care of, a lot of hostility was dissolved." Dorcas began. "You already know, but he was a big reason why bandits were running around everywhere. That kind of constant conflict creates an "everyone for themselves" mentality in people; they aren't very willing to trust others and it just makes bandit attacks even worse."

Varric wasn't sure how to respond. "I… Wow, Dorcas. I really didn't expect you to think so much about that kind of stuff."

Dorcas chuckled. "Work with enough people over a long enough period and you start to understand what makes most people tick." He looked at Varric. "You already probably know what makes alot of us tick, now that I think about it."

Varric let out a nervous laugh. "Uh… why don't you continue?"

"Heh, guess I'm right. Anyhow, when Hausen came back into power, he and Wallace really went after all those bandits." He glanced at the tactician. "With a notable amount of coordination, I might add."

Varric pretended to be disinterested.

Dorcas chuckled. "I even heard some rumors that Wallace went into the mountains alone to wipe the worst of them out…"

" _Looks like THAT plan worked then."_ Varric noted internally. "So there are soldiers at your village?"

Dorcas shook his head. "No, I doubt Caelin could spare so many men that they could carry out that kind of plan across their territory. But I'm not the only person who can fight from back home."

Varric nodded. "So that's what you meant about people watching out for each other…" " _The more I think about, back then all the villages we met really were unwilling to help each other. Not to mention people like those who cast out Nils…"_

"HEY!" A voice barked, jarring both of them. They looked forward to see Rebecca glaring at them from a ways up the road alongside the others. She cupped her hands around her mouth: "GET A MOVE ON!"

The two quickly closed the gap. Marcus was clearly irritated, but Eliwood laughed it off. "Enough with the cold stares, Marcus. Old friends deserve a chance to catch up with each other."

Bartre nudged Varric. "I'm damn impressed, Tac! I've never seen anyone get anywhere NEAR that many words outta Dorc!"

" _Tac?"_ "Uh… thanks?" Varric replied in slight confusion.

"Uch…" Rebecca let out as she threw up her hands in exasperation, before going back to the front of the group. After a few minutes the axeman and tactician found themselves at the back once more.

* * *

"I'm not gonna lie," Varric began once he had an opportunity to pick up the conversation. "I'm still kind of surprised there are people willing to look after Natalie like that in your absence. Are they old friends of yours?"

Dorcas shook his head. "Not really. The truth is…" he trailed off, before scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, I really don't deserve her."

Varric rolled his eyes as Dorcas continued.

"I don't think there's anyone back home who would speak bad of her. She's always doing whatever she can to help out, even in her condition. When you're that kind long enough, people will take notice and return that kindness."

Varric had a melancholy smile. "If only that rang so true where I'm from…" he murmured.

After a short silence, Dorcas sighed. "There's actually something I wanted to ask you. I didn't ask you back in Caelin and it's been nagging at me ever since. Maybe you can't even answer, but I have to ask."

Varric became increasingly nervous as well as curious. "Yeah?"

"I don't care if something happens to me, but...does anything happen to Natalie?" The axeman spoke quieter than normal, and his expression seemed off.

It took Varric several moments to realize what was off. " _He's actually afraid."_ Varric thought in disbelief. He had always used Dorcas in his playthroughs; he refused to not do so. Never before, whether on a game screen or in person, had Varric seen genuine fear in the man.

Suddenly, Varric let out a laugh. Then he laughed again, and it quickly escalated until the entire group was staring at the tactician with increasing concern.

At last Varric calmed down and looked Dorcas directly in the eyes. "You got a LOT of nerve thinking you don't deserve her, you know that?"

* * *

Dorcs looked as if a ten ton weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and everyone noticed. "So she's gonna make it…" Dorcas confirmed.

Varric smiled. "Yep, but that doesn't mean you get to let your guard down. You get yourself killed and I don't think things will turn out so well."

Dorcas nodded firmly. "Got it, boss. Anything else you could tell me…?"

Varric thought on it for a while, before an idea crept into his mind. " _I shouldn't mess with things that will affect Binding Blade's events, but…"_ After debating internally long enough to draw Dorcas's suspicion, Varric's guilt overrode his reason. "Yeah, actually. I'm guessing you get Natalie's medicine from a very talented medicine man."

"Yep, the best of his kind." Dorcas responded.

Varric quickly made sure Bartre wasn't in earshot. "Keep in contact with him, because and when someone close to Bartre gets sick, take her to the medical expert immediately."

Dorcas blinked. "... _"her"?_ " "Wait, Bartre-"

"Yes, yes he does!" Varric shushed. "And you're his best chance of avoiding that loss, okay?"

"...You got it, boss. I won't let you or him down." Dorcas resolved.

* * *

 **A/N: I always found HER (those who've played know who I mean) death to be one of the most unfortunate of the series. One of the few canon pairings of the series is one where the wife, a very badass warrior, dies of illness? That's just cruel… so Varric is gonna try his damndest to prevent that outcome! Maybe I'm alone in thinking it makes sense that Dorcas could prevent her death through medicine gotten from the same medical expert who creates Natalie's medicine but it makes sense to me damn it!**


	25. Chapter 12: Circumventing Conflict

**A/N: Welp, I'm officially living on a college campus now. God knows how I'll juggle classes, studying, college work study program, Muay Thai, Let's Plays, keeping caught up on my gaming, and writing. I can confirm though that this is 4th in priority second only to the academic stuff because that's how much I value you people actually giving a single f#ck about this story o' mine. On an unrelated note why is the last chapter the second most viewed chapter after the prologue? I get maybe some people skipped to Chapter 11 cause they want to get to Eliwood's story but no that's third most viewed after last chapter, meanwhile chapter 1 the 4th most viewed with a mile wide gap between it and Chapter 11. Ya'll are WEIRD.**

* * *

"Where are we headed, anyways?"

Rebecca sighed. "Pay attention, Bartre, we've told you three times already: Santaruz."

"We can't afford to fight anything more than common bandits with this small a group, we'd have a lot of trouble without further support…" Varric explained.

"...Which is why you suggested Eliwood speak to the Marquese for aid. Sound thinking." Marcus replied.

Varric scratched the back of his head. "Praise means alot coming from someone of your caliber."

* * *

A heavyset man with an oily face approached the group, accompanied by two men with lances. "Heh heh heh… Noble sirs, Alms for a poor villager?"

Varric off to the side silently opened his tome and flipped to a page, only Dorcas noticing.

"You look nothing like an honest man!" Marcus scoffed. "Step quickly or I'll have you dead!" he commanded as he stepped protectively in front of Eliwood.

"Step quickly? Sound advice-" the obvious bandit began, but stopped short with his eyes bulging as he grasped in vain at his neck, which had a pitch black shadow around it. Everyone but Dorcas searched wildly for a dark mage, and one by one they realized whose magic it was.

"Call of your men, lest you forfeit your life." Varric said chillingly. The bandit nodded his head as his face turned blue. Varric slackened the grip.

"RETREAT! ALL OF YOU! NOW!" The bandit cried out fearfully and beggingly. One could see from the mountain range a large number of bandits flee in the opposite direction. Varric moved the shadow from the bandit leader's neck to his ankles, binding them together.

"Varric, that was-" Eliwood began, but before he got another word out, Varric interrupted him "Go after the bandits!" Before anyone could question him, a shriek familiar to Dorcas and Varric echoed. "All of you except Dorcas and Bartre, run after them and help whoever's being attacked!"

Marcus looked about to interject, but at the prospect of innocents being killed, Eliwood took out his Rapier. "Everyone, on me!" he called and had Marcus speed him off, Lowen doing the same with Rebecca.

* * *

"Nice goin boss, you've really taken your magic up a notch." Dorcas complimented as the bandit leader tried to crawl away, only to have Bartre pin him with a foot on his back.

"I prefer the old fashioned way, but I like your nerve, kid!" Bartre laughed.

"Glad you guys don't think me a freak." Varric replied happily.

Dorcas shook his head. "We don't, but the others certainly didn't take well."

Varric sighed. "Yeah, I was afraid of as much. I never intended to kill the guy-"

"THEN LET ME GO!" the leader cried, sobbing like a child.

Bartre cracked his knuckles. "Not before we beat some info outta ya!"

* * *

The bandit leader, now confirmed to be Zagan, lay beaten and bruised unconscious next to Varric and Dorcas who watched the chaos ensuing, as flustered bandits were easily cut down by a pincer attack between Eliwood's group and another group led by a blue haired Lord. Bartre had already run ahead screaming his battle cry.

"Say, Boss, this is kinda like the evening we met." Dorcas said nostalgically.

Varric sighed. "Yeah you're right, with the brutalize maneuver. You and… You and Lyn pulled it off perfectly." he sighed once more, a bit more longingly.

"...I take you really miss her-" Dorcas began, but Varric stood.

"C'mon, the fighting is just about over. Leave the leader to the elements, he's as good as dead considering he failed his employers." With that he ran ahead.

"...need to learn to curb my tongue…" Dorcas muttered regretfully as he followed.

* * *

"Hector!" Eliwood called once things had settled. "What are you doing here?!"

Hector dusted his shoulder off. "Well met, Eliwood."

"Y- Yes… but, as I said, what brings you here?!"

"You wound me!" Hector cried. Eliwood was taken aback.

"H-huh?"

"You are searching for your father? And you did not ask for my aid?" Hector asked.

Eliwood sighed. "Your brother was JUST named Marquesse of Ostia. Lord Uther needs all the support he can get, most of all from you! I could not call you away from that!"

Hector grinned. "My brother is not so weak, he bid me farewell on my journey to aid you."

Eliwood smiled wide. "Well then I accept his and your kindness, I dare not turn it down!"

Varric sweatdropped. " _All the conversations like these sound straight out of the game, and on the fly they'll switch to talking halfway like me…"_

Eliwood noticed the tactician and grabbed him around the shoulder. "Ah, Hector! This is Varric, the strategist from the Caelin incident...as well as the one who gave me _that_ message for your brother…" Eliwood added hesitantly. Varric could feel Hector staring coldly.

"...We've many strategists in Ostia, but none so young. And many of them don't have such deep knowledge of our network."

To Eliwood's surprise, Varric kneeled before Hector, his head bowed. "Forgive my forwardness in that time, but it was crucial that I spoke with my intended audience. Their life hung in the balance, and I am eternally grateful you allowed me the chance to warn her of such danger."

Save Hector himself, everyone else did a double take at the sudden shift in mannerisms on Varric's part.

Hector's gaze softened if only for a moment. "...you have Eliwood's trust, it's only fair I give you a sporting chance! I'll let you show me your skills firsthand! Now stand." Varric did as commanded, realizing just how intimidating the blue haired lord truly was. "Well met Varric-" no sooner had the name escaped Hector's mouth than an ear piercing shriek echoed, and Varric was barreled into by two familiar faces.

"Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods!" Serra cried. "Varric is it really you?!" Varric struggled to get up. Hector didn't even try to hide his laughter.

Matthew rubbed his head. "Ow, Serra… no need to shove!" In vain he attempted to free his arm.

The cleric completely ignored Matthew. "It's been FAR too long! Did you miss me? Oh, of course you did, who wouldn't? You're not the only one who can use tomes now you know! I can-"

"SERRA!" Matthew interrupted. "Get, OFFA ME!" Serra let out a cry as Matthew shoved her away from pinning his arm. "Gods… Varric, it's been awhile. How's life treating you?"

Varric shook the spy's hand. "Your guidance saved my life more than a few times, I thank you for that."

Matthew laughed. "Honestly, it was as much Leila's plan as it was mine that taught you, I deserve only a portion of the credit." His gaze drifted. "...That's quite the instrument you've got with you."

Varric nodded. "I'll tell you about it when we have a chance to catch up." Varric addressed the whole group. "Everyone, Listen up! Thanks to the cooperation of that bandit leader, I've got important info on what's going on!"

* * *

"So Santaruz was in on things, eh?" Hector said menacingly. "We'll have to teach them what happens when you make such a large error as opposing a friend of mine."

A knight in heavy armor tapped Hector on the shoulder. "Please refrain from letting anger get the best of you a second time, Lord Hector." The knight turned to Varric. "I'm sorry to interrupt the debriefing, but I should introduce myself to make things easier. I am Oswin, a knight in service to Lord Uther and guard to Lord Hector. Command me as you see fit."

Varric nodded in thanks.

"By the way, these are, uh...just rumors," Hector began. "But there have been assassin's going around Lycia. They might be connected to all this."

Eliwood rubbed his chin. "Assassins?...that's more than a little troubling…."

Varric and Dorcas exchanged a look before Varric continued. "Yes, the bandits today were hired by a group of assassins who didn't want to dirty their hands if possible. And the Santaruz guards had been paid off to turn a blind eye to Eliwood's death. There should be worse to come."

Bartre cracked his knuckles. "Not gonna lie, I could get used to interrogatin' bandits!"

"Don't be such a brute!" Rebecca scolded.

Dorcas chuckled. "Ignore him Rebecca, he means well."

"Excuse ME…" Bartre muttered.

Varric clapped to get everyone's attention. "Mat, Serra, Dorcas, you can get reacquainted. Meanwhile the rest of us should get ready to move out!"

"RIGHT!"

* * *

 **A/N: Ok so I'm a week into college and yeah this is gonna be hell to juggle. Expect a massive drop in expediency of uploads although I'm still getting writing in. As always any possible feedback is immensely appreciated! Yes this chapter was barebones but there's a reason for that: Multiple intervals coming up! There's gonna be at least two intervals of people catching up. The actual chapter is only the fighting part and all the events and the like at this point f the game are between cause that's when the two groups catch up with one another.**


	26. Interval 9: Tearing Shadows

**A/N: WOW THIS COLLEGE THING KEEPS YA BUSY. I keep coming up with writing ideas but never have the time to write chapters about them. This will most certainly complicate matters….on the bright side I solved the problem that had been nagging me most: What song will Varric play as a proposition of his love? (You all knew that was gonna happen, I mean I can't go five minutes without emphasizing his music love) Turns out I was overthinking it trying to use metaphorical stuff like "Lost in Thoughts All Alone" but sometimes it's best to drop spectacle and just be direct, so i used a song that to me is VERY heartwarming as a declaration of love even if it isn't filled with any kind of symbolism. Don't get me wrong there will be PLENTY of symbolism in what songs Varric plays at what moments, you've already seen that happen, but in this case it was better to just be direct. Anyways yeah chapters are getting written 10x slower but don't worry cause I'm coming up with more ideas than ever. Oh speaking of music….more wish fulfillment, basically.**

 **Brilliant Anon: I know, right? Even without improvised dialogue most characters in FE games will just switch on the fly from formal to casual. Hector's first appearance in chapter 12 has him all "Hark, merrily!" etc but then his dialogue most of the time is anything but refined. But yeah it also makes sense that even if Hector doesn't like talking in a prim and proper manner, he'd still know how to given his position.**

* * *

"Varric, if I may…" Marcus began as the group trotted along.

"It's about my magic, isn't it?"

"Actually, no…" Eliwood said, catching Varric off guard. "It's your… er…"

"Direct aggression?" Varric offered.

"Something along those lines, yes." Eliwood confessed. "I understand you were doing what you thought best, but…" he trailed off.

Marcus cleared his throat. "What my lord wants to ask is that you wait for a sign from him to commit acts of aggression."

"...Sorry, no can do." Varric responded after a silence.

"What?!" Marcus exclaimed. Eliwood was just as perturbed.

"Look, Marcus, I expect you to understand why. Eliwood, you're too naive. I may be young, but don't underestimate my understanding of how the world works. I know a bandit when I see one, I know an ally among enemies lines when I see one, I know alot more than I should. I know you want to take charge, and you have every right to, but I ask this: let me act on my own thoughts."

Eliwood looked at the ground in silence.

Marcus stared Varric down, before Eliwood spoke. "Varric, I apologize for being direct, but you need to realize quickly that you do not lead this group."

Varric sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm not in charge. But you need me. You won't get far without me, I assure you. And even if you refused to compensate me for my service, you'd have to chase me off with weapons before I'd leave."

"BAHAHA!" Hector bellowed, sliding up. "I take back my thoughts about you, Varric, I think we'll get along fine!"

"L-Lord Hector!" Marcus and Oswin both said exasperated. Eliwood chuckled slightly.

"Oh come on you stiffnecks, learn to accept another's terms. I think it's pretty fair, especially if he's actually willing to give up payment. THAT is something none of the strategists back in Ostia would allow."

Varric couldn't help grinning at Hector's nature. "Honestly, when I said I'd have to be chased away with weapons, I expected you to tell me that could be arranged."

Hector's eyes gleamed. "Who says it can't?"

"Alright, alright…" Eliwood interrupted. "Varric, do as you see fit. I may not always condone your actions, but you lead Lady Lyndis to success, and I dare not cut away at my own chances of success in my own journey."

Matthew slid up to Varric and whispered. "You're already in Lord Hector's good graces, do NOT lose that position."

Varric nodded. "So… who wants some music?"

Hector looked puzzled. "Music?"

Varric slung his instrument over his chest. "You think this is just for show? I can play music you've never heard in your life at the drop of one's cape."

Hector grinned. "I'll take that as a challenge. What I hear better be entirely original!"

"Hey, Boss!" Dorcas called. "How about the same song you started off with on our last trip?"

Varric grinned as he hoisted himself on Lowen's horse. "I got one better."

"You sure you can play on horseback?" Lowen asked.

Varric looked over his shoulder. "Buddy, I've trained specifically for that. Hey Dorcas, Serra! Check this out!" with a strum, Varric created the sound of an acoustic guitar, flutes, AND background ambiance. Everyone turned in shock.

"What just…"

"How did he…?"

Eliwood was stunned. "V-Varric… what kind of instrument is that?!"

Varric was beaming with pride. "It's a legendary instrument that bends sound to its wielder's call. Practically any piece of music I can imagine it can make reality. Now, all of you, prepare to be chillingly amazed!"

Even Hector failed to hide his surprise. " _He has a dark tome unlike anything I've seen, led the usurping of that bastard in Caelin, knew things about our top spies, and has an ancient instrument. Why do I get the feeling this is gonna be a LONG journey…"_

With a few strums a constant melody set in. Dorcas smiled at the familiarity " _So this is what music from his side sounds like…"_

Varric began to sing.

" **We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when. Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend...**

 **Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes, I thought you died alone, a long long time ago…"**

* * *

 **A/N:** **So I kinda just realized on the 10th while binging Caddicarus to keep me awake while I try to get my Viking Sagas reading done (seriously apparently all the excitement was invested into the myths, cause the first 25 pages of Grettir the Strong is like the world's longest dullest exposition dump.) anyways through some convoluted sequence of mental links that started with the George of the Jungle rap lead to "OH SHIT I HAVEN'T UPDATED SINCE THE 24TH OF LAST MONTH"**

 **But I promise I have something that'll make it up to you: an AMAZING way to put a unique spin on the Dragon's Gate chapter. Also no small thanks to XcelltasticX for… basically helping me to just generally make everything about the story better and more planned out. He's been a massive help even if I haven't made that entirely clear to him yet; the conversations I've had with him is the best case scenario of what constructive criticism reviews can lead to and the exact reason I implore all my readers to never hesitate to PM me or just review and give some constructive criticism. I'm rambling again aren't I? Uh… hopefully the next interval will be up no later than 2 weeks from now. Bye!**

 **Songs used: The Man Who Sold the World (Midge Ure version, not because Bowie isn't a legend, but because Midge Ure's version is more fitting. MGS fans will know.)**


	27. Interval 10: Survival Thy Name Ain't Tac

**A/N: Guys, I'm not gonna improve if I don't get reviews telling me what I'm doing wrong! So c'mon PLEASE review or DM me, last DM session i had gave me a gazillion new ideas and fixes.**

 **Brilliant Anon: I know, right? Even without improvised dialogue most characters in FE games will just switch on the fly from formal to casual. Hector's first appearance in chapter 12 has him all "Hark, merrily!" etc but then his dialogue most of the time is anything but refined. But yeah it also makes sense that even if Hector doesn't like talking in a prim and proper manner, he'd still know how to given his position.**

 **Anonymous Guest: Can you imagine what FE would be like if the heroes didn't always give the enemy commander time to run across the map before fighting? It'd be about 50% shorter for starters. Yeah Varric ain't a moron, EXP ain't worth risking death at every turn, and this was a situation where he couldn't give tactical advice to half his forces that would be available in game.**

* * *

Varric took no subtleties and saddled on up to Oswin. "I'm surprised. You didn't openly take issue with my… talents."

Oswin glanced at the tactician. "You speak as if I nonetheless harbor ill will over it."

Varric gave a flat look. "No offense, Oswin, but you're one horse away from being a second Marcus, and Marcus one set of heavy plating from being a second Oswin."

To Varric surprise, Oswin laughed. Not a chuckle, but a full blown laugh, which immediately cause Eliwood and Hector to do a double take. "Did… Did Oswin jus-" Eliwood began, but before he could get further, Hector had bolted over to eavesdrop in what his fellow lord presumed was, by Hector's standards, a 'stealthy' manner.

Varric and Oswin both noticed the blue haired lord. " _Shit. There goes my chance to talk about Uther…"_ Varric lamented. "Why didn't you take issue, then?" Varric continued.

Oswin's expression became distant as he clearly recalled a long passed experience. "...I've long since learned that, at any moment, a situation might arise in which drastic action is required; I have learned from experience that denouncing someone based on assumptions can and WILL lead to disaster." He turned to the tactician. "I can only assume someone of your knowing is aware of my duty. You tapped our spy system, reconnaissance on such matters is probably trivial."

To say Varric was taken aback is an understatement. It took several moments for him to find his words. "You… You flatter me, you give me far too much credit. But… yes, I know. But not for the reasons you think." Varric sighed, remembering how hard it was to keep secrets when he first arrived. " _I was hoping I'd never feel like that again… and what did he mean he learned from experience?"_ He turned to face the knight but was quickly brushed off.

Oswin smiled reassuringly. "I'm a bit stuffy, a bit obsessed with duty, but I know a wise man when I see him. You're still just a child, but you have more wisdom than should be possible. You've made that apparent to me." The knight let out a long sigh. "Truth be told, it's a relief knowing even should I be felled, Lord Hector will still be in good hands." Oswin looked Varric dead in the eyes. "This is a task I trust you with, and so I will also let you guide my hand without question."

Varric went silent as he stared at Oswin.

Even out of earshot of the pair, many noticed Varric's expression. Dorcas raised an eyebrow. " _Whatever that veteran said has left boss speechless… and given all he knows, that's no small feat…"_

Finally, Varric found his voice. "...I swear by all I know, I won't fail you."

Oswin nodded. "Nothing more need be said."

* * *

It didn't take long for Varric having gone completely silent for said silence to weight on some of the group. Several times one person or another had to call out to keep Varric from falling too far behind.

" _I… he didn't even question things… He just put his LIFE in my hands, the hands of someone he doesn't even know…"_ Varric stare pierced through the ground as he walked forward step by step. " _This is different than the others. He never even saw me give so much as a single command, he only knows how I handled that bandit-"_

"HEY!" a voice yelled in his ear, causing Varric to yelp and fall over to the side.

"Wha-OW!" Varric cried, landing on his blade's hilt guard. Once recovered he looked up to see Rebecca standing over him.

"Is this gonna be routine?! Me yelling to shake you out of your inner monologues?!" She said more than a little miffed.

"Sorry…" Varric murmured halfheartedly.

Bartre sighed. "Geez, I'm startin t'see why Tac was found half dead. Can't even walk down a path without getting lost in his own head. Heck, I bet this is exactly how those two met!"

Rebecca dragged Varric by the sleeve back to the front of the group. Hector chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd think SHE was the one in charge. She doesn't cut him any slack." After a brief moment something sunk in. "Wait, she found him, our wondrous tactician, half DEAD?"

Eliwood looked to Rebecca. "I don't believe that was mentioned before."

Rebecca started whistling and nudging the tactician. Varric sighed. "Yeah, sure, just a sec…" He dusted off his cloak and pulled his hood far enough over his face to nearly cover it entirely. "...ok you can tell them." he added quietly.

Rebecca failed to suppress a grin. "Alright, so I literally found him half dead after he tried to eat a Mila herb."

At least 4 different people broke into laughter. Hector's voice echoed above them all. "You're kidding, right?! Those things are literally DRIPPING poison! What idiot take a bite out of something like that?!"

Bartre nudged Dorcas. "THIS is the "genius" you told all those stories about? I'm pretty sure being foreign isn't a reason to not know poison when you see it!"

Eliwood took notice at that. " _He's foreign? Based on what he's said before though, that would mean as in... not from Elibe? ...That explains quite a bit."_

Rebecca giggled. "Yeah, at first he tried to convince me they aren't poisonous where he's from, turns out the real reason he bit into it was he misread his wildlife texts."

"Alright, it's not that funny…" Varric mumbled.

Matthew slid up to Varric. "I suppose you WOULDN'T get it. In these lands, "choked on a Mila leaf" is a typical bard's punchline for more than a couple comedies."

Varric raised a finger, before lowering it in silence. It didn't help with the laughing.

Finally, Eliwood spoke up. "Er...Varric? I mean no offense, but how did you survive on your own for so long? If I recall correctly, you said you spent the better part of a year out searching for and studying clues as to that tome of yours."

Feeling it safe, Varric pulled his hood up, grateful for a slight change in subject. "Truth be told, I barely made it. I was lucky enough to find not only what I was looking for, but a companion as well shortly after I ran out of rations."

Dorcas turned his head. "You never said anything about meeting someone else while out and about."

Serra huffed. "Varric, you better not have-!"

"I WAS NOT." Varric quickly snapped, appalled. Most of the group had no idea what to make of it, and Varric didn't plan to wait for them. " _HIS_ name is Canas. Like me, he was searching for an altar belonging to one of the legendary heroes."

"I assume Bramimond." Marcus said.

"Of course!" Lowen interjected. "Who else would it be? …" he nudged Marcus. "Hey, why don't you remind us- I mean, them, which one he is. Just so we're all on the same page."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "For Elemine's sake…"

Varric chuckled. "Bramimond was the only dark mage of the legendary heroes, and it's said he gave up his soul to gain total understanding of Ancient magic. Canas was searching for clues about him, just like me."

"So you believe your tome is a work of Bramimond's?" Marcus asked.

Varric nodded, and Hector scoffed. "I'd think a weapon of one of the legendary heroes would have a bit more kick to it than THAT thing ya got…"

"Hector, you should know better." Eliwood scolded. "It's clear that such a tome is not about power."

Varric smiled. "Glad to see someone else sees that. You're right, it's a utility tome, although what it's main intended use is I haven't figured out yet."

Varric was about to go on before Oswin stopped ahead. "Castle Santaruz will soon be in sight. Perhaps we should prepare?"

Varric's head drooped slightly. "Oh, uh...yeah, let's do that."

"Clearly a man who likes his arcane arts…" Eliwood murmured through a smile.

* * *

 **A/N: OBLIQUE OBSCURE REFERENCE ALERT! That "Choked on a Mila leaf" thing is based on Lovain from DA: Inquisition. "Ever-watchful for rivals, the canny Lovias crafted a weapon that also shielded him with energy that absorbed hostile spellpower. His death at age 89, from choking on a fishbone, is the subject of a few notable Tevinter comedies." Yeah I don't know what I was smoking either to make me include that, maybe a Mila herb, which are medicinal herbs in a couple of other FE games.**

 **So college is very busying. Well, not really college but college paired with Muay Thai and Work Study, all THAT is busying. I also had to fetch my old laptop from home because THAT was the laptop with my save files of my emulated FE7 i use to easily replay through the game to make my retelling more accurate. I play each chapter and then immediately after write the majority of the chapter corresponding to it. But i have it now so that's done with and next chapter will be the introduction of Guy! And we'll all learn that he's just as badass in this story as he is in game.**


	28. Chapter 13: Hymn of Blood

**Valirion Saphis: OH HOW I PITY THEE because Canas is DA BOMB. the dude is the only shaman in the game cause he's all you'll ever need GOD HE'S AWESOME IN SO MANY WAYS AND HEROES SCREWED HIM OVER COMPLETELY ARGH.**

 **JP Im Italian: No ephidel, not yet. And Guy is SO FREAKING GOOD if you level him properly and invest in him. He obliterates Karel in terms of usefulness; Karla is probably better but I don't know for sure since you get her literally right before the end. Also Priscilla is good, why no use her? Honestly until Serra gets her promotion she's completely outclassed by Prsicilla.**

 **Brilliant Anon: "Professional Players" still doesn't make sense for me for any fe game besides heroes. And I like guy more than most of those people so HA. But Joshua is best, Karla second best, then Marisa, THEN Guy. Also I think you forgot Athena**

 **QuilvavaMan89: Oh, oh you know not what question you just asked. FE Awakening was the first FE game I played but FE7 will ALWAYS be my favorite. Even not counting lords though my fav FE7 characters list is a mile long. What I'm about to list are my faves out of my faves:**

 **Dorcas, Erk, Karla, Guy, Sain, Kent, Serra, Canas, Matthew, Jaffar, Rebecca, Florina. I have never played through a game and NOT mained Erk, Sain, Florina, Jaffar, Canas, and Dorcas. IDC IF ERK IS TECHNICALLY THE WORST ANIMA MAGE HE'S AWESOME. And Dorcas? Well his Heroes representation is very accurate because he IS a total badass. Sain is too fun to not use, Canas is hilariously powerful, and Jaffar is Jaffar. And of course I love to turn Florina into a bringer of armageddon using stat boosters.**

 **GlitchWarrior: I'm not familiar with any way to recruit him other than using everyone's favorite thief, also yes you'll see here he's far more than simply "dangerous."**

* * *

"Here we are, Castle Santaruz!" Lowen cried.

"COME OUT AT ONCE!" Hector and Varric shouted simultaneously. Both glanced aside to the other, trying not to grin.

A bald man with a green beard appeared from over the top of a hill. "Bah, spotted by snot nosed brats…"

"What's your name?" Marcus demanded.

Hector stepped forward brandishing Wolf Beil. "Who needs a name when he can give us his hide instead?"

The man took several steps back, preparing to run. "You want answers? See if you make it to the castle and you might get a few before you die!" At that he began to run remarkably fast. Rebecca took aim, but a hand from Varric stopped her. "Save your ammunition for a sure shot, even if we stopped him, it wouldn't stop the rest of his men."

" _So, he DOES know when to hold back…"_ Marcus thought.

Matthew slapped Varric on the back. "Ya know, it just hit me: you really are a full blown tactician now, not just some apprentice."

"H-Huh? Oh… I, uh, thanks but-"

"Still modest as ever about it." Matthew chuckled.

"Ah!" Varric exclaimed. "That reminds me, Matthew, come with me, we're gonna visit an old friend I saw down south!" Varric had a grin plastered across his face. "Marcus, could you back us up?"

"I take it you know of more allies to recruit? Very well then." Marcus obeyed.

* * *

"Ugh….so hungry…" A young green haired man groaned as his stomach growled, much to the annoyance of several bandits around him.

"Would you SHUT UP!?" one of them, a scrawny runt, screeched. "All you do is complain! You said you needed gold, so do your share without whining or you get NONE."

"Yeah yeah, I hear ya…" the young man trailed off.

"Uh, hey, why are those two guys over there wavin' at us from across the bridge?" another bandit asked.

"Ain't theys the enemy?" another said just as confused.

Varric cupped his hands to his mouth. "HEY, GUY! CALLIN' IN THAT FAVOR!"

Guy's ears perked up. "Wait a minute, that voice is…" he peaked over the bandits to see Varric and Matthew waving from a watchtower.

Matthew grinned. "REMEMBER, YOU GAVE YOUR WORD~!" he said singsong.

Guy internally debated for about 5 seconds. "Damn you two…" From the back of the group he drew a deadly blade.

One of the bandits laughed. "Oh, they're your friends? Well then sucks to be-YURGH" the bandit choked as he was instantly impaled.

"TRAITOR!" another cried and all 6 bandits on the bridge turned to Guy.

"We must aid him!" Marcus cried, but Varric held a hand out.

Varric was still grinning "He's got it. He's a Sacaen."

Guy held his blade up to his eyes. "I'll make this quick."

All the axe bandits charged, and in several seconds they were all slaughtered by a tempest.

As Guy approached the three, wiping the blood from his Killing Edge, Marcus was awed. "So young, yet so skilled…"

Varric and Matthew had jumped down from their perch. "See Marcus?" Varric said with a side jab. "Never underestimate a Sacaean!"

Marcus nodded. "I see that not every tale I've heard has been exaggerated."

Fed up, with a swift swing, Guy flung the blood off his blade. "Alright you two, you've successfully ruined my first job opportunity in a long time, I hope you're happy." he grumbled. Matthew slung an arm around his shoulder. "Aw, it's good to see you too buddy!"

Varric held out a hand. "I'll give you all the details later, but for now trust me when I say you won't have to worry about missing meals for quite a while."

Guy gave in. "Okay, you win, I'll join whatever your terms are, just promise me I'll eat heartily for once!" he pleaded.

Varric nodded and Marcus stepped forward. "Clearly the three of you are already acquainted, you'll have to tell the rest of us about it when this business in Santaruz has settled. For now, let us return!"

Varric nodded. "Yeah, the bandits and infantry won't wait on the defensive forever, especially after that slaughter of Guy's."

* * *

"...and with introductions out of the way, Guy and Matthew will take care of all the bandits."

"Uh… ALL of the bandits?" Rebecca repeated.

"Varric, I can only hope you have some sort of special plan in mind." Eliwood added.

"We can handle it." Matthew replied cheerily. "Right Guy?" he asked resting an elbow on the Sacaean's shoulder.

Guy sighed. "Yeah, I know those idiots just well enough to know how to take them down."

"Exactly." Varric confirmed. "Guy knows their formation, what little of it there is at least, and Matthew will use that info to take them out stealthily, meanwhile Guy knows how they all fight, and, as Marcus can attest to, he's a whirlwind of blades."

Marcus nodded. "I don't believe violence should be made spectacle, but after what I witnessed I truly believe every word Varric said about Sacaean swordsmanship."

"Well then if you don't mind, I'll be tagging along!" Hector laughed. "This I GOTTA see!"

Varric shook his head. "Nope, standard issue soldier weaponry is lances. You, Dorcas, and Bartre will all be on the frontlines. Eilwood will back up Hector, and Rebecca will ride with Lowen taking shots from a safe distance. Marcus, you're guarding me."

"With all do respect, Varric, I would rather secure lord Eliwood's safety as well-" Marcus began, before the young lord cut him off.

"Marcus, I can fend for myself. Guard Varric, I will be fine."

After a long silence the veteran sighed. "...very well."

"Ready? BREAK!"

* * *

During a break in the action, the blue haired lord strolled up to the redheaded one.

"Haha! It seems time and worry haven't dulled your skills any, Eliwood!"

"Worrying about me, are you?" Eliwood retorted.

"Not a chance! I knew you'd do just fine." with that the blue haired lord began to walk off.

"W-Wait, why did you…?" Eliwood began.

"I simply wanted to make sure you weren't overdoing it without my guidance!"

Eliwood burst out laughing. "I should say the same of you!"

"What?! I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm built much tougher!" Hector smirked. "A little too much is exactly enough for the likes of me! But you? You're not meant for travel and long fights."

Eliwood smiled at the concern. "We're all frail compared to those like you, Hector. …but strength isn't everything, is it? As our sparring record would tell."

"Hey, now, don't go bringing that up again…"

Eliwood couldn't help himself. "14 wins for me, 12 for you, 4 draws, am I not wrong?"

"Yes! You are! It's THIRTY matches, a 13-13 split with 5 draws!"

"Yes, well, you recall wrong. I'm in the right." Eliwood said curtly.

"And what makes you oh so sure?"

"Hector, remind me, whose snoring shook the rafters in numbers class?"

After a long pause the axe lord sighed in defeat. "Fair enough…"

"Still! Your concern is always appreciated. Now back to fray, before there's nothing left to help with!" Eliwood cried before running off.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Hector cried in pursuit.

* * *

"Bah! Wasted money on that pack of sellswords…" the leader grumbled as the group finished off the last of the resistance, leaving only a handful of soldiers, all clad in armor, and their leader at the entrance to the castle.

Eliwood stepped forward. "Where is the Marquess?! I demand to speak to him!"

"Oh, I'm sure by now he's in a better place." the leader said with a smug grin.

Eliwood's mouth curled in a snarl. "Wretched CUR!" he cried, before charging forward. Before he made it two feet, however, Hector grabbed him by the arm.

"Eliwood! Calm down! Take a look around us…" One glance made it clear why Hector was on edge. There were two pairs of armored knights, one pair on each side, in addition to their leader.

"Guys, pull back and regroup." Varric instructed, and hesitantly, the young lord obeyed.

"No one has an Armorslayer, or hammer, or heavy lance…" Varric rattled off.

"Rapiers are effective at finding pinpoint weakspots, perhaps I could lead an attack?" Eliwood offered.

"You can't take on five of them, much less when they have lances." Varric said sadly. "And Wolf Beil is strong, but we saw before a handaxe hitting dead on that didn't leave a scratch…"

"Their armor is not the kind forged in these areas." Marcus explained. "It only raises more questions as to who exactly we're up against…"

" _The Fang."_ Varric thought as he paced, before someone daintily tapped him on the shoulder.

"AHEM!" Serra began. "I, Serra the righteous, will aid you all!"

Varric stared in puzzlement "uh… how? Healing magic isn't gonna help, you can't heal us faster than 5 of them can hurt any one of us-"

Suddenly a familiar sized book clocked Varric over the head. "Didn't you listen to me before?! You aren't the only one who can use magic, dummy!" Serra huffed.

Hector and Matthew were just as bewildered as Varric. "You can use magic?" Hector repeated.

"Since when?!" Matthew exclaimed.

Serra puffed out her chest proudly. "I can't let Lucius outdo me! I've been studying up on divine tomes since I arrived in Ostia!" There was a dangerous gleam in the cleric's eyes. "Just keep them distracted for a few minutes and I'll take care of everything!"

* * *

The tome opened, and a chant began.

"Sic doctrinis scite tibi vi sacramentum.  
Erit poenam luce sanctum.  
Dido Tuus, Timere…"

The green bearded knight turned his head towards the large doors to the castle. "Back for more, are ya lot?! Come on in so we can slaughter you!"

"...Timere, Sanguine expiate.  
Dido tuus, Vuluntate vincti  
Timere, Corpora comburite  
Dido tuus, Timere…" the voice was barely recognizable even to the cleric's allies. Meanwhile, at the eerie chanting the knights grew suspicious at the chanting on the other side of the doors.

"Preparing magic? You won't get a chance! MOVE FORWARD!" immediately the 5 knights lumbered out, but were met with a vacant area. "What the-?!" the leader cried out, before there was movement out of the corner of his eyes and he realized his error. a silver lance blocked the path back in, along with a Rapier, sword, and axe as the two lords, Marcus, and Lowen blocked the way, having circled around.

"Try your luck, you will not best me." Marcus said steeling his gaze. Above them there was a bright glow outlining a dome over the knights that was only increasing in magnitude.

"Timere, Sanguine expiate  
Dido tuus, Pecatum purgate  
Timere, Umbram Disicite  
Dido Tuus, Timere…" as the chant grew louder, suddenly hundreds upon hundreds of needles appeared overhead. All 5 knights were in range.

"Shit!" one of them cried, and they all looked around in a panic.

"WHERE ARE YOU DAMN IT?!"

"Right in front of you." Varric replied, as his cover of shadow faded away, revealing an exhausted tactician and a very terrifying holy mage.

Serra's eyes raised from her reading and stared down the 5 knights. She raised a hand.  
"...Timere, Finis vobis appropinquat!" She cried as she brought it down, bringing with it a rain of needles that pierced straight through the knights' armor like mist. Not one breath escaped them as they all fell, each one bright as a bonfire from all the needles of light in them.

"...yep, still as brutal as ever to see in action." Matthew finally said, hiding his horror with snark as he could taste the dryness of his own mouth.

The red haired lord was too focused to be awestruck. "Quick, to the Marquess!" Eliwood cried as most of the group ran after him inside, leaving a handful outside.

"HEY! That's all the recognition I get?!" Serra shrieked incredulous. Before being startled by a pat on the back from Varric.

"You did amazing. Lucius is gonna have a run for his money next time he tries to show you up." Varric said with a massive grin, his chest still heaving.

Serra blushed slightly before raising her head in pride. "Yes, well, I, Serra the Radiant, have standards I must meet!"

"Boss, you okay?" Dorcas asked as he managed to catch Varric before he could collapse.

"Y-Yeah…" Varric said looking thankfully at the axeman. "I've never used my light refracting outside of practice, let alone to camouflage two people at once…"

"You aren't gonna get AA are you?" Serra said worriedly.

"Nah, I'll be fine, I've been through worse and made pulled through, but will you? That was one heck of a display." Varric replied.

Serra smiled. "You kidding? Maybe if I'd been fighting the rest of the battle, but that was the first time I've had to use a lot of magic in weeks! I had plenty of energy to spare for that."

"Uh, wait, go back." Bartre interrupted. "What's AA?"

"Animus Ailment." Serra replied. "It's a severe sickness that afflicts magic users when they overexert themselves to a large degree. You usually don't realize you're close to getting it until you're moments of exertion away from getting it, which makes it especially dangerous."

"Isn't that Magic Exhaustion?" Dorcas interjected.

Varric shook his head. "I thought so as well at first, but basically the difference is Magic Exhaustion is from your body not having the resistance to magic energy, while Animus Ailment is when someone who usually has magic energy coursing through then expends a massive amount in a short span."

"Both have terrifying effects, though…" Serra muttered.

"One of the benefits of Ancient Magic, or at least MY ancient magic, is that even if it's tiring, it takes a lot of overexertion for me to get AA." Varric explained. "So I should be fine, I'll know to stop long before it's out of hand..."

* * *

There was a long silence as the group waited for the others. Eventually Guy spoke up. "Varric, you already know it's too late, don't you?"

At that things somehow got even more quiet, before Varric spoke. "...yeah. He's passed… I think it's best we leave Hector and Eliwood to sort things out."

A while later, the two lords and those who followed them in walked out of the castle, fire in Hector's eyes. "We ride for Laus!" he commanded. Matthew and Serra both stood at attention. "Yes!"

Varric walked over to Eliwood. "...I'm sure he's past suffering now." he managed, his now much rarer awkwardness showing full force. It did not go unnoticed.

"Yes… I know he's moved on to better places." Eliwood said sadly. "But he was a good comrade to my father and I; I can't imagine what someone did to him to force him to let his men attack us, or let sellswords attempt to kill us at his gates…"

Hector coughed. "C'mon you two, there's no time to grieve if we want answers we need to act on his final wishes."

"Y-yeah, you're right…" Varric trailed off.

"...for a war tactician, you don't deal with death well, do you? The death of those other than enemies, I mean." Eliwood spoke up.

Varric nodded. "I… can barely handle the mere thought of those close to me dying, I'd sooner die myself than let anyone under my guidance die."

Hector raised an eyebrow, and Eliwood smiled. "Yes… you said something similar when we met in Caelin. …" Eliwood brushed his hair out of his face. "Hector is right, we must act, not grieve!" he raised his sword. "EVERYONE, PREPARE TO MAKE HASTE!"

"RIGHT!"

* * *

 **A/N: K so for those still confused, Magic Exhaustion is what happens when someone who isn't a mage tries to use magic, like if a character not meant for magic attacks started using a tome or an acolyte tried a spell out of their league, and AA is when a mage overexerts themselves from casting a lot of spells or using too much of their energy in too short a time.**

 **College is somehow both really easy and insanely difficult. It's like playign heaven or Hell mode in a DMC game. you have LOADS of free time and quizzes are easy to prepare for, but one slip up and you're absolutely screwed because of the limited number of recorded grades, and exams are as difficult as ever.**


	29. Ch13x: Clarisse Wants Her Title Back

**JP Im Italian: Ya see it's hilarious because you foreshadowed Serra's little light show in last chapter with your review of the chapter before that, and now in your review for last chapter you foreshadowed a part of this chapter. Also I'm glad someone other than me envisioned the two soldiers snapping to attention thing.**

 **Brilliant Anon: It's a bit complicated. Basically every character will get their "unlock potential" moment with a promotion item, but many will display promoted abilities upon returning. Wallace from the start was a full on general. Serra has all the abilities of bishop but not that level of pure power, lemme use Sain and Kent as an example: I always found it weird that they were still basic Cavaliers after all that happened in lyn's story, so upon their return they'll be fully knighted. They will still need crests though to become full fledged paladins. And then of course there are things such as the Fell Contract where it's a literal transformation upon using it.**

 **A/N: If you'll kindly direct your attention to the cover image you'll notice it's a commission of Varric! Thanks goes out to Maxoffewtrades, go check him out please!**

* * *

On the way to Laus, a stop was necessary as the group travelled through Caelin. One moment Varric was walking into a tavern, half an hour later he was witha familiar face running up to the lords as they prepared to leave. "HEEEEEY! GUYS!" Varric called, looked towards Matthew and Serra. "GUESS WHO?"

A young brown haired man in blue put his hand behind his head and laughed. "Can't say I was expecting this."

* * *

"So, why're you this far out, Wil?" Matthew said, cheerier than ever for his comic back-up.

"Actually it's a bit of a long story-"

"Wallace?" Serra, Matthew, and Varric all said in unison. Wil nodded and sighed.

"Long missions are y only reprieve, so I volunteer for the outer patrols whenever I can." He explained. "By the way..." He jerked a thumb towards Rebecca. "Why won't Becky talk to me?"

There were several snickers at the nickname and one could see Rebecca seethe before she stopped walking and got in Wil's face. "You have a LOT of nerve to act all innocent! YOU COULDN'T VISIT US YOURSELF CAUSE YOU _VOLUNTEERED_ TO SERVE SOME RANDOM LADY?!" Immediately she turned to the legion members. "No offense."

"None taken." Varric said the the surprise of the other Legion members.

Varric began to sweat. " _Oh sweet St. Elimine..."_

* * *

As night crept up and fire lit the camp, the two lords began talking.

"So…" Hector began. "Another member of the group."

Eliwood nodded. "Even if only temporary, it's reassuring to have Wil travel with us while we pass through. Having someone who regularly patrols the area will make navigating it all the quicker.

"Yep...so yeah, this is Caelin? Maybe we oughta present ourselves to old Hausen."

Eliwood shook his head. "I fail to see a need, we're simply passing through. I'm surprised you even considered the act." He looked skyward. " ...I am curious to see how Lady Lyndis is doing, though."

At the mention of her name, a pair of ears were brought to full attention.

Hector raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Lyndis, Lord Hausen's granddaughter." Eliwood explained.

Hector nodded dismissively. "Oh, right, the lost heir, the one who took care of that wretch Lundgren." He craned his head. "You had something to do with that, didn't you?"

"Mm…" Eliwood shrugged off.

Hector grinned. "So?"

"So what?" Eliwood echoed.

Hector rolled his eyes. "The granddaughter, of course! What about her? Is she a beauty?"

A twitch.

Eliwood flustered. "A… A beauty? She's… I don't …I mean, she's… I suppose it's her Sacaen heritage, she's certainly striking…"

"Too bad, isn't it?" Hector said pityingly.

"What is?!" Eliwood exclaimed.

"That we don't have time to see her, loverboy!" Hector laughed. "Although, for her to catch your attention…" he began as Eliwood tried and failed to counter. "She must be quite the beauty indeed! Perhaps i should pay a visit myself…"

Serra, Matthew, and Dorcas had heard enough to know the two lords had made a grave error. A shadow crept up a certain tactician's hand in silent chant.

"L-Like i said! Her heritage, it's simply inherited beauty!" Eliwood managed.

"Ahaha!" Hector bellowed. "So easy to fluster! Although if you don't care that much for her, certainly you'll have no problem if I-"

"ZINTHOS!" Varric yelled almost deafeningly, and a solidified orb of shadow slammed like a bowling ball through a handaxe, breaking it to pieces, and into the skull of the bandit aiming at the Lords, sending him reeling and stumbling away into the foggy forest.

Eliwood jumped at the sudden blurs of movement. "What?!" he cried in shock.

"Tch… can't let your guard down for five minutes…" Hector grumbled. Serra and Matthew, meanwhile sighed in relief for the distraction moments before Varric needed restraining.

" _It's a good thing he had a spell all prepped…"_ Dorcas mused.

"EVERYONE! BANDITS!" Varric called, rage evident in his voice and his brow twitching.

"...Is it me, or is our tactician on edge? More than usual." Hector observed.

"Who knows? We have more important things to worry about!" Eliwood reminded.

* * *

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPP!"

A bandit shoved the screaming merchant, balding with a blue ponytail and split pencil moustache, to the ground. "Shut up already! You've got a lot of nerve sending us running in circles!"

A much less ragged looking bandit, someone who could almost pass for a normal person were it not for a permanent scowl and arrogant smirk, examined the spoils. "Check it out, this old idiot's loaded."

"Nice score, Puzon!" The other bandit cheered.

"AIEEE-" One bandit screeched, holding his groin as the merchant ran for his life.

* * *

"Seriously, where IS all that screaming coming from?!" Hector said increasingly annoyed.

Varric stood beside him gazing into the woods. " _3… 2… 1…"_ He dived out of the way just in time to avoid being barreled into by a balding man with a ponytail. There was a loud crashing of armor as Hector went crashing down.

"OH THANK ST. ELIMINE YOU'VE COME TO SAVE ME!" The strange man bawled as Eliwood restrained Hector from knocking him out with one punch.

"Who are you? No wait, scratch that, LET ME GO ELI!"

"Get ahold of your temper, Hector!" Eliwood commanded. Marcus ignored them both and helped the man up.

"Thank you kind sirs, I was sure those bandits would be the end of me!" Without prompting he turned to Varric. "I am Merlinus, a humble merchant of wares. Please, help me recover my wares and I shall forever be in your debt! But we don't have long, unless we hurry they'll make off with all my valuables!"

The rapidfire dialogue only confused Varric more. " _Wait, so it's a timed mission? Not a protection mission?"_ Varric quickly scrapped his plan and tried to remember the map he'd seen. " _Okay so there's north, west, and east pathways, except now instead of moving towards the center, they'll be regrouping and retreating at the middle…"_ Several moments of silence passed before Varric opened his eyes again."Split into 3 groups!" he began, before a hand was on his shoulder.

"Hey, Varric, let me take charge." Matthew said with a confident smile. "Darkness is a spy's best friend."

Guy raised a hand. He stood in awkward silence before Varric realized he was waiting to be called on. "Uh- yes, Guy?"

"The Kutolah were experts at nocturnal hunting. I'll take the lead as well." Guy spoke, before Rebecca jumped up. "I can hunt at night too! I'll go too!"

Varric hesitantly nodded. "Alright then. You three go on ahead, try and force them into the center route. Mar-" Varric began but immediately stopped before thinking for a moment. "...Lowen, you'll lead the center charge. Marcus, I want you to go to that village we saw northeast of here and make sure no bandits get any ideas."

"Wait, I'm- I'm what-?!" Lowen exclaimed, but Marcus smiled and nodded at Varric before putting a hand on Lowen's shoulder. "This Is your first real chance to take lead, Lowen. Do not squander this opportunity."

"Right then!" Varric concluded with a single clap. "Everyone get ready for a full on pursuit while our scouts go ahead!"

* * *

"Heh, I think we lost em…" The leader chuckled as the group reached an exit to the woods.

"Hey, Boss, is it just me, or are we's a few short?" the co-leader asked. Several other members of the group noticed as well.

"Huh?"

"Hey, yeah!"

The leader took a headcount. "Oy, we're at least 4 or 5 guys short, where-?" He asked mid turn before he left the forest and found himself a foot away from a hanging corpse of a human pincushion. "GYAH!" He cried fearfully as he fell back. "Wh-what the hell?!"

An arrow flew overhead and with a snap of a rope, another body fell from the trees with a clear case of 'death by a thousand cuts.'

All the bandits dropped their stolen goods and took up arms. Another thud an arrow pierced the skull of a strung up bandit tied around a large tree. One bandit threw his handaxe in the general direction and there was a sound of flesh squishing. Immediately they ran over to check only to find a now freshly dead bandit on his knees, axe embedded in his forehead.

* * *

Varric was sitting by Guy, who had been complaining for the past 5 minutes about hauling around dead bodies. "Shhh!" Varric hushed as his ears perked up. When he was sure of what he was hearing, he smiled and flicked a hand sign. An orb of darkness shot up, visible against the night sky but only to those looking for it, and just as quickly returned.

Elsewhere Matthew and Rebecca high fived at their plan's success.

* * *

As a shadow flew up, Lowen took position. "Everyone, now!" He cried as he rode forward. No sooner did he burst into a clearing than did he impale the co leader through the heart with his lance as both he and the rest of the bandits ran screaming into the field. "MOW THEM DOWN!" Lowen shouted in a voice more booming than anyone though him capable of. Doing so proved barely necessary however as Lowen rushed forward with a sword in one hand, lance in the other, taking out another two bandits as both fumbled to guess which range of weaponry they'd be attacked with. Bartre, Hector, and Eliwood all stood amazed at the normally quiet cavalier's performance before a whack from Serra's staff sent each of them into pursuit.

* * *

The leader found himself separated from the group, a white jewel in his pocket. " _Who needs them anyways?_ " He thought before turning while inspecting his gem. There was a swoosh from above and he spun around to see a brown haired archer.

"Hello there!" Wil said cheerily before letting fly a steel tipped arrow into the bandit leader's brain.

* * *

As Merlinus rummaged through all his belongings to take inventory, the group rested around the fire.

"Rebecca, Matthew, Guy," Varric began, "You guys were phenomenal!"

Matthew closed his eyes and grinned. "Any spy worth his salt knows how to set up a few snares and spooks!

Rebecca puffed up proudly. "Never underestimate my aim! Weather and lighting will never stop me!"

Guy growled. "Says the two who didn't have to carry any of the bodies…"

Varric put a hand on his back. "Not all preparation is glorious, but all preparation IS necessary."

Marcus nodded. "Moving bodies in complete silence should not be seen as a minor feat, either."

Wil smiled. "Still, I think Rebecca still holds the title of "better hunter" over me…"

"Yep!" Varric agreed." She's a real 'Sniper in the Dark'" he declared before chuckling at his own private joke.

* * *

Shortly afterwards, Varric's spirits noticeably dwindled, but before too many noticed the merchant returned.

"Everything is safe!" Declared Merlinus. "I cannot thank any of you enough, I am forever in your debt!" With surprising vigor he jumped over to Eliwood. "You are Lord Eliwood, are you not? I have seen you at several events with your father! I assume he is the reason you are journeying?"

"Well aren't you knowledgeable." Hector chided.

Merlinus scrounged his face for a moment, making his mustache seemingly wiggle independently. "I am no mere traveler, I am a merchant of the highest caliber! I must be aware of those who travel the land to have any success in business! Knowledge is as valuable as coin, you know!" He turned back to Eliwood. "With that said, if you would allow me to do so, I would be honored to pay off my eternal debt by joining you on whatever journeys you may partake in. So long as you protect my wares, I will accompany you no matter the danger!"

Varric listened in silence. " _Given he never once backs out in game, I suppose he's much more serious right now than anyone would normally give credit…"_

Eliwood looked to the tactician, and with one look his mind was made up. "Merlinus, we will happily take you up on your generous offer!"

"Joyous day!" Merlinus cheered before bounding back to his wares.

* * *

Once he was gone, a couple minutes passed before Dorcas turned attention to Lowen. "So… seems our quiet, timid novice of a cavalier has some very advanced techniques in his repertoire."

It took a second for Lowen to realize he was being referred to. "...huh? Oh! No, really it wasn't much, to say I properly used it is an overstatement…"

In an instant Sain and Kent were on him. "Are you kidding?!" Sain exclaimed. "You were using a sword in one hand, lance in the other! How do you even do that?!"

For once Kent was just as enthusiastic. "Not even with General Eagler have I seen such a technique!"

Lowen looked to his mentor for help, but Marcus chuckled. "Don't look at me. You were the one to come up with the technique."

 _ **BAM**_

Varric felt something hit his jaw and was seeing stars. when his vision focused he saw Rebecca glaring down at him. "ARE YOU DELUSIONAL?!" She screamed. Varric looked around in confusion to see several staring at him with half concerned, half cringed expressions.

He looked around confused, rubbing his jaw. "Wait, where did Kent and Sain go-" another whack to the head. "OW! THE FUCKING HURTS!" He yelled back.

"SHUT UP YOU PERVERT!" Rebecca screamed, which got Varric's attention.

"I'm sorry, what?" Before he could be struck once more, Wil pulled him away.

"Rebecca, he was unconscious. I'm sure it wasn't intentional." He reasoned, before Rebecca huffed and marched off.

Varric looked to Wil. "I was unconscious?"

"Dude, how vivid was your dream?" Matthew asked, legitimate concern on his face. "You just dropped like a bag of stones after Merlinus left, talking in your sleep. I heard you mention Kent and Sain, the rest was a jumbled mess of sounds."

Varric blinked. "...Ok that explains alot, but what was she-"

"She tried to help you up to check on you and you reached out in her sleep." Wil said as straight faced as he could. When Varric didn't seem to get it he continued. "And then groped her."

About 5 seconds passed as the circulation visibly lessened in Varric's hands in favor of increasing in his face, before Varric wordlessly got his tome out, began chanting, and disappeared as his shadows covered him like a cloak.

"Varric I know you're still there." Matthew said flatly. "We all do. Look, you probably just passed out from using magic too soon after your show with Serra yesterday. What you're doing now definitely isn't going to help."

"I'll risk it." Varric said hoarsely. "Just pretend I'm here like normal."

No one else had dared even approach the 3 and simply inferred from Varric's reactions what was going on.

Marcus cleared his throat. "Back to Lowen's technique..."

That got the rest of the group's attention, especially Varric's, as Eliwood turned to Marcus. "Wait, Lowen's? You didn't teach him that, Marcus?"

Marcus shook his head. "I helped a little but Lowen came up with the idea of using both weapons himself. It would probably never work on a master combatant, but as we saw tonight, against fodder it can be extremely efficient. A perpetual feint would be a powerful aid to any fighter…"

Even under his turquoise hair, one could tell Lowen was completely red. He jumped when an empty space began talking to him. "Hey, I have a couple of friends who would probably want to learn that technique."

"Well, are either of them ambidextrous?" Lowen finally asked the empty space, which shut down the conversation completely.

* * *

As the group packed up for an early departure next morning, Rebecca having _almost_ gotten over the previous night and Varric minding his position relative to the huntress, Merlinus finally returned with his wares packed up save for a one item in his hand. "Sir Lowen, please take this! It is the least I could do for how you lead tonight's charge!" He handed what looked like a small replica shield plate to Lowen, who accepted it awkwardly, unaware of what it even was but too timid to ask Merlinus about it.

Marcus and Varric, however, knew exactly what it was and exchanged a knowing nod.

 **A/N: COLLEGE IS RAMPING UP PEOPLE. Just wrote a blog on Spinal and Tusk in relation to Viking Sagas and Norse history and another separate blog post on Jotun (Fantastic game, get the Valhalla edition right now). Had to temporarily stop going to an actual fight gym for Muay Thai and make do at the fitness center on campus cause travel time was too stressful, I got finals and gotta bring my Psych grade WAY up cause I gotta do rally well in what I want to major in, College is somehow the most stressful and the most chill. I mean my assigned reading is American Gods by Neil Gaiman which is amazing, and my philosophy homework has been about the Alien franchise, god there's so much going on... Oh and I got an LP of Dead Cells, DmC and RE4, Shadow of Mordor, Tales of Zestiria, and now Castlevania Requiem all going on too. FFS me stop having so much stuff to do.**

 **Got SC6 btw, I've made FE characters in it like Marisa before even playing a single match, and I'm waiting for 2B to come out to make Lyn cause I am SO giving her 2B's moveset (the sheer Lyn-ness of her sword style outweighs the whole drone aspect)**

 **Speaking of soul calibur, if you need reference for Lowen's techniques, just look up Hilde from SC4**

 _ **EDIT TO THE CHAPTER:**_ **So I posted this on November 11th, then woke up the next morning and saw I had a review from Blarg888! When I was done reading it I proceeded to slam my head into the wall. And now it turns out Sain and Kent were illusions and I AM REALLY UPSET WITH MYSELF FOR MAKING THAT BIG A CONTINUITY ERROR FU- _Technical Difficulties_**

 _Edit the second:_ **AND I PIUT WIL IN- okay at least that's a bit plausible but I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL MY BETA READER**


	30. Interval 11: A Rose by Any Other Name

**A/N: To all those who saw last chapter the night it went up: YOU. SAW. NOTHING.**

 **To those who saw it the next day, rest assured for my Beta tester will suffer for his obliviousness to continuity.**

 **WhiteLightningWolf: That. It's reviews like that which make it entirely worth it. Thank you so much, to know I'm succeeding in giving my characters the depth I want them to have is all I could ever ask for.**

 **Guest: ...I got nothin to add, you nailed everything perfectly on the head.**

 **JP. I'm Italian: This is why I should never stop in the middle of a chapter and pick it up a month later. Anyways they literally can't catch Darin cause he leaves as they arrive, and yeah Eric ain't gonna go on a long scpheal. Clarisse's official title is "Sniper in the Dark" and SC6 refers to Soul Calibur VI.**

 **Blarg888: I must commit seppuku for my errors. Also the namesake isn't going to be an explicit thing. The dagger Varric has technically has a safe state function but to use it he has to hurt himself. As the chapters get more difficult Varric will obviously feel pressure as he has to make every decision count and has no easy reset button. The save states or rather lack thereof is to set the tone of "Hey this isn't a game now," not really a plot device or anything.**

* * *

" **Heartaches by the number...Troubles by the score…**

 **Everyday you love me less, Each day I love you more…"**

Soft country acoustics accompanied the group as they trekked along the dawnlit path.

"When'd our tactician turn into such a sad sack?" Hector none too subtly questioned aloud. Eliwood gave him a glare for his mannerisms but quickly joined his fellow lord in wondering.

"I'm...not sure why he's been so somber since last night either. Ever since we left Caelin for Laus the music he's been playing has proven noticeably melancholy."

Varric adjusted himself so his back was to the two gossiping lords as he continued.  
 **"...a love that I can't win. But the day that I stop counting, that's the day my world will end…"**

Serra looked pityingly at the tactician before letting out a fluttering sigh. "How tragically romantic…"

Guy rolled his eyes and scoffed, but that earned him an elbow from Matthew.

"Don't bother with the act, you were arguing with yourself about what to say to him." the spy said with a knowing smirk.

Guy ever so slightly tensed up. "No clue what you mean..." " _Note to self: make sure alone when rambling..."_

Matthew didn't keep his smile for long, and began wishing Wil was still with them to help bring the mood up.

Hector spoke even louder. "He also got REAL pissy last night before the attack-" he began before being lightly shoved by Eliwood, whose glare told him to stop talking.

The words already took effect, however, and Varric's whistling became more shrill.

Dorcas sighed. " _Those two idiots really have no clue…"_ he glanced aside to their mentors. To his surprise, Marcus and Oswin weren't just disapproving, they were practically cringing at the lords' inability to read cues.

Rebecca took a look around her, and seeing that no one was going to step up, huffed. " _One moment they're in battle, the next they don't even have the nerve to directly confront a guy."_ She marched right up to Lowen's passenger. "Hey! Why the sad tone?! You're supposed to lift our spirits, not crush them!"

Varric seemingly ignored her and continued to sing.

" **Heartache number one was when I left you,**

 **I never knew that I could hurt this way…"**

Lowen sighed. "Rebec, you won't get anything out of-" immediately he was shushed by an intensely listening Rebecca.

" **...And heartache number two was when I came back again,**

 **I came back but was never meant to stay…."**

"So that's it…" Rebecca muttered, easily picking up on the message. Immediately she had the attention of everyone who overheard her.

" _She's a sharp one."_ Dorcas thought as he failed to hide a smile.

"Oy, archer girl, what's he hiding?!" Hector called over his shoulder.

Rebecca hurried up to the head of the group, only to stomp on Hector's foot. "None of your business you insensitive jerk! Work on that romance blind spot of yours!" with that she promptly headed back to the back of the group near Varric. "Sorry you have to deal with people like them, oblivious people are the worst…"

Eliwood laughed. "I see now! We really are fools…"

Rebecca nudged Varric. "C'mon, we can go see her after all this. You said there was someone in Caelin you wanted me to meet anyways!" she said as cheerily as she could.

" _It's not the idea of not seeing her that worries me…"_ Varric thought. Regardless, he didn't last long with Rebecca practically radiating compassion. "...yeah, I guess." he resigned with a sigh, which only made Rebecca light up even more, in turn making it definitively impossible for Varric's sorrows to linger. Matthew took the opportunity to slide up on the other side. "Buddy, you'll have to learn just as I did how to handle the distance."

"What are you three chatting about?!" Lowen exclaimed, tired of being out of the loop. Rebecca motioned him to lean down and whispered something in his ear. "...Why didn't you just say something, Varric?! We could've-"

Varric panicked and quickly played a different chord. "Who wants to hear a song?!"

Bartre chuckled. "That's one way to break his composure."

Dorcas rolled his eyes, knowing his companion still didn't get what was going on. "Boss, play something like the one you were just singing. A happier one, of course."

Varric nodded hastily and happily. "Sure!"

Hector quickly snapped to attention. "HEY! ISN'T SOMEONE GONNA FILL ME IN?!" Much to his annoyance, everyone ignored him.

" _I wonder who the lovely lady is?"_ Eliwood wondered, blissfully unaware his own words had just the previous night nearly incurred the tactician's unbridled fury.

Varric strummed several times to set the tone. He cleared his throat and a repeating chant could be heard before Varric sung full swing with a nostalgic sort of cheer.

" **I can't stop this feeling  
Deep inside of me  
Dear, you just don't realize  
What you do to me…"**

* * *

 **Songs used in this chapter: Heartache By the Number, and Hooked on a Feeling**


	31. Ch14 Prelude: Dying Words, a Second Scar

**A/N: Did ya like that lighthearted little break? Hope so cause now shit gets dark fast. I imagine this will leave you with several questions but I ask for once you wait until next chapter is out to review because at least some of them will definitely be answered, but to make it so you aren't completely in the dark: MY Version of Hannah is a lot more than some fortune teller, she's "just a fortune teller" in this the same way Lady Baba in Dragonball is "just a fortune teller." The person who knows about what's going on behind the scenes even if they don't have any agency over such things. My version also does a lot more than just tell you what units are best for the upcoming battle, such as, to pick a random example, outright showing a vision of a purple haired bastard have an old man assassinated.**

This chapter is coming a bit early to leave you on a cliffhanger throughout finals and probably most of Winter Break. Ta-ta!

* * *

A lord in purple armor rode towards a hilltop, and hid his unnerving as he found himself staring at a group led by a very determined looking red haired swordsman.

"Eliwood!" the lord called. As the other lord turned to look at the purple armored man, he nearly stepped back at a fire in the redhead's eyes.

"...Erik." Eliwood said curtly.

Erik held his hands out courteously. "Why must you look so hostile, Eli? Do we live in such hostile times that a friend cannot greet a fellow lord with open arms?"

"I won't hear any of it, Erik." Eliwood replied matter of factly as he slowly walked towards the now visibly nervous smug faced man. "You and your father will both answer for your crimes, surrender now and I guarantee you a fair judgement regardless of your father's actions."

Erik took another step back. As he saw the brigade behind Eliwood stare him down as well. "E-Eliwood, what suspicions do you have of my family?! Simply voice them and I could certainly explain away any ill notion! This...This isn't like you at all, surely these are Lord Hector's words; I heard he was travelling as well-"

"ENOUGH!" Eliwood screamed loud enough to echo through the hills. "YOU KILLED A MAN WHO TREATED ME AS HIS OWN SON!" Eliwood was, to the surprise of many, visibly enraged. "Helman is dead, and you and your father were both in on the plot! First you steal away my father, than you kill a man who treated me like a son… You will not go unaccounted; stay your tongue, to call you silver tongued would be a laugh anyways, yours was always one of stone." He drew his rapier. "I knew all about your plots against me in our classes, always seeking to gain my trust to humiliate me. I treated it as pranks and never held it against you, but my eyes were opened to how dark your heart truly is; how desperate you are to prove to the world your life isn't meaningless."

Erik fell onto his rear, shaking as he was verbally brutalized. "Y-You little runt-"

"You think it is the people's job to recognize you… You're just as poor a leader as your father. He could never lead anyone; we know who he is an accomplice to. Had you not made an attempt on my life just now, I would have let you go free." On cue the blue haired lord exited the wood with a bloodied axe, and Oswin appeared behind him.

Hector let out a humorless chuckle. "Erik, Erik, Erik… what will we do with you? You thought you had us surrounded? We have more knowledge than you give us credit for." He nodded towards two figures that made Erik turn white with fear. There was a green cloaked lad whose gaze pierced his skin and had a convulsing shadow, but more than that was a short old lady whose gaze went far past the skin and into the soul.

A shuddering wreck, Erik backed up and let out a high pitched whistle. Before falling onto his back from a shift in incline. Eliwood and 3 other figures stood over him. "I will not kill you, Erik. To do so would be cowardly and needless."

For a brief moment Erik smiled nervously before there were two quick thrusts and he howled in pain as he began to bleed from a puncture in each ankle. "BASTARD!" he cried as tears flowed from the pain. In a moment though, he let out a brief laugh before passing out.

"What was-" Eliwood began before being shoved. There was a sound of metal piercing metal, and Marcus fell to one knee, then the ground.

* * *

Serra's staff began to fade as she kneeled over Marcus. "It's no good. There's some sort of poison in him from the wound…"

Hector kicked the laughing, bound body of the bowman that had been lying in wait above their heads. "Alright bastard, fork over the antidote."

The nameless thug laughed. "Is that how they do it in Ostia? Those who use poison must carry the antidote as well? That ain't 'ow it works in the Fang-" he stopped short as he began choking from a strip of darkness on his neck that faded as Varric stood over him. He silently reared back his fist and punched down, pressing the assassin's head between his fist and the earth. Several looked at Varric in surprise.

"...how do we save him" he managed, every word shaking.

The fang member spat blood at Varric. "There ain't a way. He'll be dead in the next half hour-" another punch as a tooth audibly shattered.

"Oy, Boss…" Dorcas said warily as he walked over, but was stopped by Hector. There was another punch.

"HOW?!" Varric screamed, his voice hoarse and his skin more pale than ever.

Two more punches. Another scream of futility. The assassin lay well and truly dead soon after.

"...Varric, don't waste your worries on me." A voice called.

* * *

Marcus lay against a tree, looking at the circle around him, letting out a weak laugh. "To think, this is how it ends… poison, of all things…"

Eliwood, his eyes already red, was on the verge of breaking into sobs once more. "I'm… I'm so sorry Marcus. This is my fault, if I'd-"

"Hush now." Marcus said, for the first time giving Eliwood an order. "Lord Eliwood… all you did was show me how wrong I've been this entire time."

"Pardon…?"

Marcus looked the lord dead in the eyes. "All this time I've thought you too naive for your own good; I've thought you the kind of person this world preys on. With only indications, however, you saw straight through Erik, and you showed me that even someone as kind and caring as you possesses a certain amount of ruthlessness necessary for anyone to live in this world, especially one in a place of power such as yourself-" A hack and cough had everyone on edge and blood dribbled from Marcus's chin. "...You are not the young lord I thought you were, you grew up long ago without me truly realizing." He turned to Lowen. "Lowen… Stand by Eliwood no matter what. Promise me this. After your display, I decided: The day I die, I wish for you to fill my role. You aren't as strong as me yet, but given time you will easily surpass me."

Lowen silently nodded. Even with his hair covering his face, it was easy to see he was crying.

Marcus turned his head as his breathing became ever weaker. "Bring Varric here…"

Dorcas guided Varric over, the tactician still in a state of half-shock.

"Snap out of it." Marcus ordered and Hector both ordered. The lord went on: "Death is inseparable from battle, you'll never save everyone."

Marcus nodded slightly. "Lord Hector is right, Varric."

"...B-but I… This isn't how it was supposed to be-"

"Varric." Marcus reassured. "I have heard your talk of how you would sooner die than see those under you perish. Few things I can claim to be more noble than one who typically only gives orders being willing to die for those they command… But death is inescapable in war. Someone must pay the price for suffering, and we do that through death. It is a noble dream to wish to pay the price in someone else's steed, but it is not something we can do. So use my death as a chance to steel yourself for any further suffering. ...I'm sorry I ever doubted you, just as I should never have doubted Lord Eliwood… Thank you." He finished in a whisper as his eyes closed and his chest stopped heaving.

* * *

Several minutes of silence passed before Varric finally spoke. "I can save him."

Heads turned, and those who knew Varric grew worried. "Boss, are you talking about-"

"What do you mean? Varric, he's gone now." Eliwood responded.

"Oh but he isn't… not in another time, at least." the old woman chuckled.

"Hannah? What do you know you old-" Hector began but was stopped.

"You know things none of us do, Hannah." Eliwood began. "What do we not know about?"

"The boy's tool, of course." Hannah said grinning. "Quite the precious item, that dagger."

"Tool? You mean weapon." Bartre corrected, but earned a walking stick to the knee.

"Don't talk back to your elders!" she barked. "I know what I said. That dagger is an item with more power in it than any of you could fathom. To grant the user's consciousness the ability to traverse time itself …all at the mere cost of self mutilation. You can already see he's used it before…" She gestured towards Varric's clasped hands, one of which had a scar as cobalt blue as the day he received it.

"Woah woah woah, Varric can go back in TIME?" Rebecca said, mouth agape.

"I've not even heard of the legendary heroes successfully doing such a thing." Oswin murmured.

"Our tactician's got a secret power?" Hector scoffed. "Why would you be so loose-tongued about this then? Or expect any of us to believe you two?" Hector said raising an eyebrow. "This is breakneck speed if there ever was."

Hannah chuckled again. "Because I already know he'll be using it. No sense keeping secrets for the few brief minutes we have left in this time."

Varric silently began to enter shards into his dagger. " _Bear the suffering of everyone else…_ "

Eliwood sat next to him. "Varric… I'll take Hannah's word at face. I'll tell you now: Marcus wouldn't want you to sacrifice for him. I know him well enough to be sure."

Varric paused, before turning to the redhead. Eliwood felt as if he were gazing into a sea of resolve as Varric spoke. "...It's about more than just Marcus. I got careless. I spoke and acted at ease about Erik once Hannah showed up, and that might have been what cost him his life; my actions might have been his undoing. As I told you, no one under my guidance will die if I can prevent it." Before anyone could stop him, Varric slashed open his hand, tracing his scar. There was a shriek from Rebecca. Blood flowed freely from Varric's hand and mixed with his grip as he placed the knife in his wounded hand. He placed his other hand against the ground as he had once done before, and raised his hand.

"Please… hear me out, Naga…" he murmured as he brought the dagger down.

* * *

"...That was a foolish thing to do."

"You're the one who gave me the dagger."

"I can already see your mindset. You took Marcus's words to heart in a way neither he nor I expected. If you try to cover every exchange-"

"What does it matter so long as it remains equivalent? FMA and all that, right? So I'll gladly bear the burden of any deaths."

"You won't survive it. You clearly know based on how you just acted that every rewind takes a greater toll."

"I can take it." Varric retorted, defiant in the face of the goddess. She simply sighed.

"...What about returning home? Do not forget the other toll; the binding of your spirit to this world."

Varric went silent as he gazed down into the abyss. "...I'll worry about that later. For now, I don't matter. You know the most important thing isn't my safety, it's all of theirs. They're the ones who will save everyone."

"Not without you to guide them."

"Then I guess dying isn't an option, is it?" Varric said with a weak grin, wincing as his hands sealed up and he was left with a matching pair of cobalt blue scars. They were a deeper shade than before, not too noticeable but clearly more vivid.

Naga let out a long, exasperated breath. "Perhaps your mindset will change once you're reminded of your world."

"Sorry, what?" Varric said as he snapped to attention. It was Naga's turn to smile.

"You'll know in due time. Cheers." Before Varric could retort he was blinked away.

Naga did her best to suppress the concerns welling up. "... _The very reason I picked him might be his downfall…"_

* * *

 **A/N: Raise your hand if based on the fact I actually gave Marcus a dying speech, you thought he was legit gonna stay dead.**


	32. Chapter 14 Prelude 2

**A/N:**

 _ **I'M NOT DEAD!**_

 **Jan Term is a bitch. 9am-4pm with homework, ugh…**

 **I wonder if anyone ever realized that the last interval's name was a reference to the best Fallout New Vegas character. I mean her song was literally the first thing said.**

 **Guest: wait, when did I invoke Warhammer? I see you're talking about 7x but still did I make an accidental reference? Or are you just without any prompting making such a drastic suggestion? Heresy!**

 **...okay another reference, yep I definitely have a Warhammer fan in the ranks. Just so you know I won't actually get any references other than "Heresy." I never actually read Shinji 40K, but if you haven't you definitely should, it's like the codifier for a fanfic being possibly better than it's source material.**

 **FireEmblemFanMark: Thank you for the excellent review. Yeah I definitely with at the very least last chapter left it too confusing. As for Varric though...well, speaking as a massive introvert myself, I can say that the reason not much is known about Varric's personal life is because it's the last thing he ever wants to discuss. I've dropped enough to give an impression of who he is, the loner who wears his isolationism on his sleeve, but i still get what you mean by there not being much to his depth. Trust me, that's already planned for. There's gonna be a lot more extra stuff after the reunion and even moreso after dragon's gate.**

 **TO GIVE AN IDEA HOW MUCH THESE REVIEWS HELP, BECAUSE OF THIS PARTICULAR ONE I NOW HAVE A ROADMAP FOR THE ENTIRE CAELIN REUNION BATTLE.**

 **o realisticFantasy o: If my story remains entirely coherent even to those who haven't played Eliwood's story, then I have in at least one regard succeeded. I honestly was worried I was introducing too much stuff for it to remain coherent even to those who've played the game so this is fantastic.**

 **OK HERE'S WHAT NAGA MEANS BY THERE BEING A GREATER TOLL EACH TIME!** **The first time Varric used his ability he stabbed himself in the hand. The second time he slit open his hand by cutting all along the scar left, then stabbed clear** _ **through**_ **his other hand. Next time, to give an example I now won't be able to use, he stabs each hand and THEN also slice open both his quads. Exponential increase in how much pain and bloodshed he has to subject himself to before he can go back. Each time also leaves a permanent Cobalt scar wherever he wounded himself, and the scars become increasingly vivid with every use as well.** **The thing is though, if it reaches a point where Varric would die from his wounds, if they get too grievous, which if he continues they will get VERY grievous because he's not re-wounding himself, he's reOPENING past wounds, then he'll obviously just die.** **The other toll is for reasons not yet disclosed, every time Varric uses the ability he becomes further bound to the world and decreases his odds of surviving a trip back to his world.**

* * *

"You know this hag?" Hector scoffed at Varric before being quickly hit in the back by Oswin.

Varric ignored his demeanor. Several feet away was a very short, old crone of a woman, witch like in appearance and eyes an unnatural gleaming purple. Her face was permanently fixed in a knowing, almost mocking grin. She chuckled. "I'd listen to your advisor little boy." She said, cackling as Hector visibly became irritated. "He's well aware of how much rides on my services."

Varric nodded. "Hannah is an… acquaintance of mine, and I can guarantee we want her assistance for as long as possible." He ignored Hector and spoke directly to Eliwood. "I can't lie and say she won't come at a cost, but her assistance is invaluable."

Eliwood walked over to the woman who had blocked their path mere meters before their destination would be in sight. "...I'll gladly accept your services, and compensate you fully. I'd be a fool, however, to accept such prices without a demonstration of how you can help us."

Hannah's smile widened. "A much wiser boy than the blue one I see…" She let out a low chuckle as she revealed a black orb not dissimilar to Varric's spell, but fully physical almost like an inverse crystal ball. "You've already failed once. I suppose I could show you a bit more than last to ensure your future…"

Varric bristled as the fortune teller stared into his soul.

"ENOUGH RIDDLES!" Hector barked. "The hell do you mean we've already lost before?!"

"I'm not the person to ask." Hannah immediately shot down, unwavering. "But I must say, your tactician's hands are a much more appealing sight now. Symmetry is always pleasing, after all."

Several eyes looked to Varric in confusion, while the remaining pairs of eyes were filled with knowing and worry.

Before anyone could question things Dorcas cleared his throat. "Uh, guys? You probably don't want to look away right now."

Varric looked at him thankfully, only to realise it wasn't entirely a distraction. Already a scene was forming in the orb. Even with its size and dimensions everyone could clearly see a conversation play out, despite all logic. "Allow me to confirm your suspicions…" Hannah said before the world was blocked out as they all saw the same time from a different place:

* * *

A soldier ran into a throne room. "Lord Darin! We've just received word from our lookouts. Lord Eliwood is still beyond the hills, but he's making fast progress!"

A purple behemoth of a man clenched his teeth, highlighting his creases on his face, showing it wasn't uncommon for him to be visibly agitated. "Ephidel! What's the meaning of this?!" his voice boomed.

A veiled and hooded figure, face shadowed save for two glowing unnaturally yellow eyes, emerged from the corner of the room. "Perhaps when they reached Santaruz Castle, Lord Helman was still clinging onto his life…"

Darin bared his teeth again. "You can't be serious!"

The mysterious figure named Ephidel shrugged it off, smiling too peacefully to be comforting. "It's not as if he would've lasted long, only time to mutter a couple names at best."

Darin wasn't calmed in the least, as he raised a hand to his head. "AGH! This is disastrous! Everything planned will go to naught! What were you-?!"

Ephidel interrupted him in a hushed but sharp voice, with a hint of menace. "There is no need for such alarm, my lord. No matter what he may have told young Eliwood, Pherae no longer has any power. The most he could hope to do is inform Ostia."

"Ostia?!" Darin yelled. "That would be disastrous! Young and new as Uther may be, he's a threat to us all. That addlepated Helman! A coward to the end; betraying us when we are so close…We only need a little more time for our plan of rebellion!" He began pacing faster.

Ephidel's eyes followed him. "Then perhaps, before marquess Ostia becomes aware of any of this, you would do well to stop them here." He spoke with a commanding tone, despite the difference in stature between them.

Darin began to calm almost immediately. "Y-Yes, of course, you're right! There's still a chance. If they want to pass, they have no choice but to go through Laus to get to Ostia, we will silence them!"

Ephidel nodded and smiled once more. "They must not pass, regardless of the cost."

"We'll make haste. Call up our finest troops-" Darin began before a third figure burst in.

A younger blonde man, no older than Hector or Eliwood, entered the conversation. "Father! Please, allow me."

Darin seemed taken aback, but not discouraged. "Erik? Son, do you really think you can succeed?"

The lad wearing purple armor in the vein of his father let out a massive scoff. "That clod eliwood studied with me in Ostia. He's a trusting fool." His gaze lowered and smile widened. "The moment he sees me he will lower his guard. When he does, we strike!"

"I see." Darin replied curtly.

"AHEM" Ephidel coughed. "I beg your pardon, M'lord. Is this not...too much for him? If, by strange chance, he fell, things would surely turn for the worst." Despite how he spoke, the tone of Ephidel's voice implied it wasn't a simple suggestion.

Darin didn't notice or didn't care. "No. I know I'm the lad's father, but Erik can be quite clever when need be. Snuffing Pherae's welp is the least of his capabilities." At Ephidel's silence as a response, he turned to his on. "It's settled. It's up to you Erik, I expect the head of Pherae's darling son!"

* * *

"LOOK OUT!" two voices cried. In an instant Eliwood was shoved to the dirt and a shadow rose from the ground. Before anyone had time to react, an archer fell from a tree, handaxe embedded deep in his shoulder by Dorcas.

Eliwood stared wide-eyed as an arrow hung suspended in midair, caught by the shadow wall formed with it halfway through, just short of hitting Marcus.

* * *

As the group recomposed themselves and prepared for the larger battle, Marcus approached the tactician. "Varric."

"...Marcus." Varric said in response.

"...Thank you, I was too careless; I let my guard down-"

Varric held up a hand, stopping the veteran. "I was only able to watch our backs because I had confidence you could guard Eliwood from any oncoming threat. Let's leave it at that." He gave his best attempt at his normal smile, which wasn't coming as easily as usual. "I can't have the wizened warrior of the group start to doubt himself."

After a short pause, Marcus gave a much more confident smile. "Very well then."

Bartre elbow jabbed Dorcas. "Those two really need to work on their talking skills, huh?"

Dorcas shook his head. "They communicate in a different way, although I'm not surprised you can't pick up on it."

"OY!"

* * *

 **A/N** _:_

 **If you could pick** **one song to sum up Varric, what would it be? It would need to match both in instrumental, lyrics, and tone. What I mean by tone to be clear is that the Lyrics have to work in context. To give an an example of how context affects things: if you look at the lyrics of the song "Born Depressed" it seems to be egomaniacal, but the context puts it in place as sarcastic and self-loathing.**

 **Please PMme your answer, don't leave it in a review as anything but an addendum (so don't leave a review that is just about the song thing)**

 **The more responses i get to this the better idea I have of how I see Varric vs how the readers see him. I know the full arc to the characters and so likely have a far more extensive view. I plan to ask this a couple more times as the story progresses and Varric's mannerisms and motivations become more clear.**

 **Lastly and most importantly:**

 **I want to formally apologize now. This wasn't a real chapter, I know. It was mainly just a direct exchange from the game between Darin and co, and nothing happened past where the last chapter ended. I'm mainly uploading this because A. It'll make for an easier transition when I go straight into the thick of things next part. B. apparently has a policy forbidding chapters that are simply status updates, but I wanted to have one. Jan term is brutal; I went in expecting game design, not game programming with little creativity. It lasts from 9-4 every day with one break from 12-1 for lunch and then back to wanting to stab myself with a pen to take my mind off the boredom. Couple that with the fact that I have homework as well and due to medical conditions need to get a minimum of daily exercise, and I barely have any free time. I would've spent the winter break stocking up on chapters to drip feed if I'd known a course about video games would be entirely work with no real play, as opposed to what I mainly did was play a combination of The Witcher 3, Dark Souls, and Smash Ultimate roughly 12 hours a day every day at minimum (Before you ask, it's Ridley with Pichu as a secondary main). Soooo yeah… It's gonna be awhile before I can get back to regularly writing, let alone regularly uploading.**


	33. Chapter 14: Return to Form

**JP I'm Italian: Wait, did I miss one of your reviews? *plugs JP into the find bar* Nov 30- HOW DID I MISS THAT?! Better late than never to address it I suppose:**

 **I feel I somewhat already addressed the first half. As for the rest, I've already decided I'm not keeping with the events of Binding Blade. Not saying they won't happen, but there might a few...subtle changes due to what happens in my story. And I gave a full explanation of the retaliation from Varric's power. Lastly, hope your holidays were as chill as mine.**

 **Now for the second part, YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT THERE'S MORE TO LOVE THAN A PRETTY FACE AND KINDNESS. I'm not even gonna say anymore on that, just trust me when I say it's entirely flushed out already in my concepts list (the thing I write in whenever I'm struck with an idea for my story that I can elaborate on later. Also my self-reflections about why I have this weird thing IRL where I relate to fictional characters the same way if not more than I would to real people. Games like Persona, Fire Emblem, or Ace Attorney especially. But regardless of how weird it may be, it's the entire reason I'm writing this story half decently).**

 **An interesting song choice. I can very easily picture Varric sitting in a corner, hood over his head and headphones blasting Sabaton. As for it representing him, is Varric supposed to take the role of Leonidas then? I suppose I have shown that he's a lot more ruthless than Eliwood or even Hector when Varric REALLY gets upset. He has the spartan rhetoric down pat, lastly of course in fire emblem it's standard fare to use small bands of warriors to take down an entire army.**

 **NeedingOfLifeGoalDude: BAD APPLE doesn't really work in that sense, if Varric ever conveyed an idea of him being hesitant about his feelings for Lyn, I assure you it's a possible interpretation that's completely unintentional. The song is also too pessimistic. It would fit Varric much better if only talking about his life before FE7, and yes I know that makes him before the events of the story sound like a total emo but… tbh I can safely declare real world Varric to be more than slightly emo. 70cm square window? That I can fully get behind.**

 **Transfigurator: That's gotta be one of the most encouraging reviews I've gotten thus far, knowing that I was able to appeal to someone who had qualms about approaching. If I can put those kinds of worries to rest, then I've achieved one of the things I've set out to do. Believe me, I've read plenty of REALLY bad Isekai type stories, which was why I was hesitant about doing the story in that style at all. The reason I eventually decided to go with it is that the tactician is supposed to be the player, ie someone relatable. Because I can easily project myself onto Varric's character, it helps me a lot with writing how he might act realistically. It was after I reached that conclusion I went all in on the idea with the dagger and whatnot, plus the idea of deviating from canon seemed fun as like you said it's also been done to death. So anyways, welcome aboard! As your captain I promise to see this journey to the end, even if by the time we get there we'll be using f*cking driftwood because the boat wore away from sheer time it takes.**

 **FE Newbie: Oh Dart will get his moment. Every single character will, guaranteed. And how could I NOT acknowledge his story role?! I think I've made it pretty clear who my favorite archer in the series is by this point! ...Well there's also Shinon but that's Radiant. Also boy did you choose a bad time to get into my story then! If you'd gotten into it a couple months ago you would've had said months of no updates to go play the game!**

* * *

"Alright boys, looks like a war's broken out!" A gap toothed bandit in red cried, rallying several men. "You know what this means?"

"WE PLUNDER!"

The leader raised his axe. "That's right" He turned his back to his men and thrust his weapon skywards from the hilltop. I'LL HAVE THEM ALL KILLED! Now let's-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" As he spoke a bolt of lightning came down and struck his axe, before coursing through him with enough power to leave him blackened as he fell to his knees, dead from burns and cardiac arrest.

A purple haired young man with two books brushed his hair out of his face. "That won't be happening on my watch." He scoffed as the body slowly tumbled down the hill. "Now then…" He began as he made his way south. A moment later he turned his head to a large amount of noise from behind the hill. " _I'm pretty sure he had a word for this scenario- ah, yes…_ oh bugger."

* * *

As Erk his around the corner of an abandoned shack outside the northern village, he weighed his options. Barely 10 seconds later a voice pierced the clearing. "BEHIND YOU!"

As Erk reflexively rolled to the side, an iron axe embedded itself deep in the ground where he'd been but a moment ago. Before he even had time to open his tome, a handaxe embedded itself in the bandit, with a second ending his life before he'd even finished recoiling.

Erk caught his breath, before turning just in time to be football tackled by pink blur. "AAAAAHHHHHH ERKIE!" squealed a certain cleric as Erk could've sworn he felt his eardrums rupture.

Matthew scratched his head. "Man, she is FAST when she really wants to be…" He made his way over to the struggling mage as Dorcas and Bartre retrieved their weaponry.

Despite Serra's clinging, Erk made it onto his feet. Still, however, he looked like he'd seen an eldritch horror.

Matthew burst into laughter. "Gotta admit, I never thought that voice of hers would actually help instead of hurt!"

Erk stared at the Cleric. "...Never in a million years did I think your accursed vocals would save my life…"

A quick, light slap to the face snapped him out of it. "THAT IS NO WAY TO GREET AN OLD FRIEND!" The cleric said in fury, even as she prepared her staff. "Now stand still…"

"Serra, I don't require healing, but what I DO require is an explanation as to why you, Matthew, and Dorcas are all here. Does this mean…?"

Dorcas nodded. "Yep, the boss is leading a second group, told us to tell you he's gonna protect your client."

Erk held a hand to his head. "I think I need a minute to adjust…"

* * *

"Thank you for protecting her." Eliwood said once more to the inkeeper, who held up his hands in humility.

"It's honestly nothing. Priscilla has shown the people of this town more kindness in her short while than Darin has in his entire reign. You're likely not to find a single person who would give her up to him."

Hector chuckled. "Gotta admit, you villagers got balls to defy a warmonger like Darin."

The inkeep shook his head. "We may be divided into territories, but we're Lycians one and all. No one outside of Darin's estate supports his war efforts. We could be invaded one day, yet he would rather start wars at home…"

Eliwood nodded. "It's one of many marks against him." He clenched his fists. "...And the marks against him are far too many."

Hector scratched his chin. "But none of it also makes sense, what goal could he possibly have? Varric says he's sure it's that cloaked-"

"Both of you, we should go." Oswin interrupted. "Before we attract any attention to the village."

The door burst open to reveal a green cloak. "It's a bit late guys!" Varric called. "Pirates, coming in from the islands!"

Eliwood turned to the inkeep. "Board the entrances, get everyone inside. We'll make sure none of them get to you."

"I'll help as well!" Priscilla cried, following the lords outside into what was slowly becoming a drizzle.

* * *

"Keep them on the beaches, don't let them even get to shore!" Varric called as he frequently checked over his shoulder. " _C'mon, where are you guys?!"_

A pirate slammed his axe into Oswin's lance, grinning madly. Said grin disappeared in an instant as his iron barely scratched the silver, and before he could react Oswin had impaled him, his lance deflecting the blow and piercing clean through the pirate all in one smooth motion.

For a brief moment Varric simply looked to the knight in awe. " _He's almost as capable as Marcus…"_

"GET DOWN!" A voice cried, and Varric hit the ground just in time for an arrow to shortly after fly over him and hit a bandit dead between the eyes. Rebecca ran up offered Varric a hand.

Varric took it only to be smacked once standing. Rebecca looked ready to burst. "Every time I have to save your skin, you can expect another one of those! GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!"

Varric rubbed his skin. "Yes ma'am."

"Hope I'm not interrupted a domestic." Matthew chimed in, grinning.

Varric did a 180. "Finally, you're back! Is Erk-?"

"Right here." Erk replied as he ran up, hood over his head in the increasing rain. "We can catch up later, Matthew said you have a plan?"

Varric grinned in response.

* * *

Hector Grunted as he struggled to get footing in the wet sand. "This is stupid!" he called to the other beachfront fighters. "Let's just let them get a bit further and fight where we can stand right!"

Marcus deflected a blow before sending a pirate tumbling back into the tide. "There are homes lining the waters. The moment they gain any ground they have an opportunity to pillage."

Eliwood nodded. "Trust in Varric! He said he'd be able to take care of it as long as we kept them waterbound!"

On cue there was a piercing whistle. "That's the signal!" Eliwood called, and immediately the frontline retreated fully onto the beach. No sooner had they done so then a bolt of lightning broke through the sky and hit the water, momentarily lighting up every pirate on the shore like a bonfire before charred bodies slowly began to float towards the shore.

* * *

"We'd best prepare for the remaining soldiers-" Eliwood began.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Varric said offhandedly.

The group made it to the castle front, only to find a Sacaean and several dead footsoldiers. "Nice work, Guy!" Varric cheered.

"I was lonely…" Guy muttered dejectedly. Matthew pounced, saddling on up next to him.

"Aw, you missed me?" he said, arm around Guy's neck.

Guy went full deadpan. "No, just the company of people in general."

Eliwood sheathed his blade as he examined the area. "It seems what we saw was true. There are no high ranking guards to be seen outside of the select few who accompanied Erik…"

"They also quite literally left the front door unlocked." Guy added as he jerked a thumb behind him towards a large gated doorway, slightly ajar.

"We shouldn't let our guard down-" Marcus began before Hector moved past him.

"'Scuse me." He said, dragging Erik's body by the cape. "Now then…" With solid whack the enemy Lord was woken up painfully, paling as he saw Hector standing with Wolf Beil in hand. "Try anything and this'll be deep in your skull." Hector warned.

Erik silently nodded.

* * *

The castle was indeed completely deserted, and many were looking more ragged than ever. Even Erk and Priscilla had clearly experienced some hardship before that day's events.

"Alright everyone…" Eliwood announced. "We'll be residing here for the next few days. We all clearly need rest."

Several let out a cheer and other sighed in relief, one of the few exceptions being Varric, doing everything he could to mask his unease and anxiety.

"Something up?" A voice said from behind, causing Varric to nearly jump out of his skin. Behind him was Erk. "Just because it's been a year, that doesn't mean I can't read your cues."

Varric let out a heavy sigh. "It's…" before he can speak, he went dead quiet for a solid minute. "...nothing. It's nothing important." He continued in his head " _the legion needs a rest as much as the others, they can't do that knowing what's ahead…"_

Erk scoffed. "Varric, no point hiding things. If something important is around the corner, I'd rather know it."

The tactician simply shook his head and smiled. "I'll tell you some other time, we all need some rest." He started for the bedrooms, before turning back to the mage. "And we still need to catch up!" He added before he headed to the beds, keeping the smile up all the while.

* * *

 **Guys. I have horrible, horrible, wonderfully horrible news. I've discovered Atomic Heart is a thing. If you haven't discovered it, go to Mundfish's site. It's like Bioshock plus The Outer Worlds in Russia with Nier robots and Doom 2016 combat and oh my god it's so awesome and I'm worried it'll somehow bleed over into my story (this game is only 40 dollars for a pre order of the digital deluxe edition. I'm not associated with Mundfish but I say this because when I see reasonable pricing for games in this day and age I damn well talk about it, we need all of that we can get these days…) so yeah if things go full Bioshock Infinite (in the sense of time space continuum messing about and reality warping, not in the sense of making all my characters and the story absolute shit and getting completely up my own ass before ending the story with "rocks fall, everyone dies") you can blame Atomic Heart. You have been warned. -I promise to restrict it to dreams though-**

 **So anyways Jan term is finished, I passed, I can safely say I'll never be a game designer because f this whole coding business, and I can safely say from now ok chapters are gonna take a lot longer to write main chapters because starting next in game chapter we're at the point where the story truly picks up. I'll try and write intervals to keep things lively enough to be not dead.**

 **To those of you who may worrying how spacing things out will affect my writing, fear not! When i'm not inspired to write this story, i'm inspired to write another. I always keep my writing skills sharp even if it means switching projects for a while. Most recently i've been getting plenty of work done on my beta reader's own fic "Yu-Gi-Oh: Surging Tides" which while updating once every several months is in no way dead. We've got a 3 year roadmap (3 years in the story, but at this rate probably also IRL) (Beta Reader's Notes: I saw that, you f#ck! ...and you have a point, sadly.) and have so much planned for I… but that's not that relevant here i guess. Regardless I have just as many ideas for this story as well, it's just a matter of waiting for inspiration to strike and being in the mood to write Fire Emblem.**

 **I also beat the dlc for Dark Souls 1 and have half a mind to start putting that stuff in the dream chapters. We'll just have to wait and see.**


	34. Interval 12: Falling Side to Side

**A/N:**

 **3-13 Sniper: ERK FOR LIFE! NO REGRETS! I use both healers, one for light magic that can heal in emergencies, amd obe devoted entirely to support (you can guess which is which)**

 **Every unit will get their moment. Every. Single. One. (Yes even you Geitz, you who has such a forgettable personality i have to constantly go back and check the wiki just when trying to remember anything other than your class and hair color.)**

 **To the guest who left a review on Nov 13: i didnt know you were referencing sonething because until a week or two ago i had never seen that. Now i get the reference though and i love it (Literal Word of God, also PMSeymour is glorious)**

 **FE Newbie: forgot to mention last time, Varric's jealousy/protectiveness over Lyn both during the Merlinus chapter and in general will be played for laughs. How ironic i mention this in the A/N to this particular chapter...**

 **JP: like I said last chapter, Leonidas and the song Sparta DO fit Varric pretty damn well up to this point, and again i love the imagery of him sitting a corner with emo clouds practically visible above him with Sabaton blaring in his ears. Then again i'm trying to limit his resemblance to me, not crank it up…**

 **And again, funny how you say nothing seems to phase Varric right before this chapter.**

 **NOW THEN, WHO'S READY FOR A BAD ACID TRIP? Or at least the closest I could get to one. Honestly I don't think I'm not very good at these dream sequences. Regardless, as usual it's based on something from a game. In this case it's two things, one each from two games.**

* * *

Varric stared at his decorated cloak, holding it like it could shatter at the slightest impact. " _I'm sorry...I'll be there, but I can't be there now."_ With a heavy sigh he lay on his side. As worried as he was, Eliwood was right; it took mere moments for him to drift off into a deep sleep.

Varric found himself standing in the center of a lake, fog obscuring anything more than a few meters away. His reflection was perfectly still, impossibly so. "...So, is this it?" He asked aloud. In response, his reflection melted into a swirling vortex of pitch black, growing larger and larger but not breaking the surface. Varric stepped backwards only for the surface to give way just enough to make him fall backwards. In an instant, a massive eldritch hand bigger than Varric shot out of the vortex, grabbing the tactician and dragging him in.

Falling.

Falling…

Falling further still, Varric gained his bearing only to immediately lose them again as the world shifted sideways, and his downward momentum became sideward, sending him rolling a couple dozen meters before he could right himself. No sooner had he stood up then the fog in front cleared, giving him a direct line of sight to what was barely recognizable as Castle Caelin. Hanging from the walls and perched on spikes were dozens of bodies.

Varric's mouth opened but no words came out as he began to choke on his breath. He shakily reached out but the moment he did so, reality glitched in and out of existence and he found himself at the front doors. On each side was a knight, one red one green, a puddle of blood at their feet and a metal spike through their hearts; their bodies were deathly pale as if drained of blood and their eyes white with neither iris nor pupil.

Varric covered his face. " _It's not real ITS NOT REAL"_ He repeated, screaming internally. He heard metal against metal and burst through the doors only to hit the ceiling, his body in agony from the impact. When his vision returned he found the interior a complete mess of gravity and broken physics. Against one wall was Wil, at least a dozen arrows in his torso. Elsewhere was Lucius, a broadsword through his chest. Both bodies were the same deathly white, but that barely registered as Varric sprinted past, only to barge through another door and fall forwards into a hellish cavern, red and black swirling, with unrecognizable phantoms everywhere. At the center of the swarm was Chloe, one arm shattered and her body blackening from literal scorched earth. Even in her state she continued to swing her weapon, each movement visibly paining her.

At last Varric found his voice. "Ch-CHLOE!"

At his voice she turned, opening her mouth to speak. No sooner did she hesitate than she was sent flying against a far wall, before tumbling down into the chasm. All at once the phantoms set their eyes on Varric, and as they closed in reality flickered yet again.

Once more a hand grasped Varric and dragged him down, but this time Varric remained conscious. He took his dagger and instinctively stabbed the hand, only for a deafening roar to echo and leave him tumbling forward, momentum switching again, before coming to a stop in a prone state.

"You… save… us…" A familiar voice murmured, and immediately Varric's gaze shot up. Before him was the the Lady of Caelin herself, her arms shredded from chains dragging her upwards a good few meters off the ground, the chains' origin impossible to determine.

"L… Lyn." Varric rasped, his throat entirely hoarse.

Her eyes and body drained like all the others, Lyn raised her head and looked into Varric's soul before repeating: "You could have saved us…"

The chains snapped and the body dropped. Varric reached forward but the body began to move on its own, before it rose alongside several others, their pupils returning with eerie yellow irises. One by one Varric saw his friends return as morphs.

"You could have saved us."

"You let them waste time"

"You knew what would happen…"

"You still did nothing to change it."

From the center rose a man clad in dark robes, golden eyes glimmering in the dark. With a snap Varric's body burst into blue flames, and he began screaming in silence, before all went dark.

* * *

Eliwood burst through the door to find an absolute wreck. The room was covered in cracks as if a giant pinball had been rocketing around, and Varric was at the back of the room on a bed, in a cold sweat and hyperventilating. "Varric!" he cried before running over, several others not far behind.

"Dear gods…"

"What happened?!" Matthew exclaimed, even the typical comedian in utter shock at the scene.

"...n-no…" Varric murmured, staring downward with wide eyes and shaking like it was 50 below.

Rebecca pushed through, visibly panicked. "Hey… Varric?" she reached out to him, but at her touch Varric jolted back and covered his head with his hands. Rebecca recoiled at the sight. "Wh-where's Serra!?"

"Right here." the cleric replied, with a different staff than normal in hand.

* * *

The glow of the Restore staff finally faded and Varric lay on the bed, unconscious and murmuring but no longer panicked and breathing normally.

By then the group had mostly cleared out to give Varric space, Dorcas, Serra, and Rebecca being the ones to remain.

Outside Hector wasn't cracking wise for once. "What the hell happened in there? Did his shadow thing go berserk or something? It was a wreck!"

"We don't know much about that tome." Marcus surmised. "Perhaps it has possessive-"

Erk shook his head before interrupting. "No, the tome didn't cause Varric to panic. The reverse, in fact." Even the stoic mage was clearly upset by things. " _I only saw him remotely that upset during the Lundgren encounter, what in gods' names did he see in his dream?_ "

"Erk," Eliwood spoke up, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Could you explain further?"

Erk nodded. "That tome is the type to bind to its user; as in, the tome is controlled repeatedly by the user's will and thus becomes linked to their mental state. That's why it the shadow "went berserk" as Hector referred to it." He frowned. "But still, normally such things only happen when the caster is in critical _condition…Which means his mental state_ was..."

Guy remained silent. " _He knows things none of us do. That fact came back to haunt him, somehow…"_

* * *

"Alright, I did what I could. He should be fine after a night's rest." Serra sighed, worry etched into her face.

"We should all get some sleep." Oswin advised. "And I think it's best if we not bother Varric about this tomorrow; we should let him be the one to speak about it."

Several nodded before heading back to where they were staying. Dorcas leaned against the wall outside the room. "You heard him, Rebecca."

"...You all go ahead, I'll keep watch, just in case." she replied halfheartedly.

Dorcas sighed, before sitting in the outer corner, nodding off on the spot.

* * *

Varric awoke, unnaturally calm. " _I had that dream, and then… I was screaming. Yeah, I must've waken so many up-"_ He stopped short in his mind as he realized sitting next to him, head on the bed, was Rebecca, fast asleep.

Varric wasn't sure how to react for a few moments, before smiling weakly. " _She's too caring for her own good."_ He thought, before taking the blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders, then silently making his way out. Varric couldn't help but keep the smile when he saw Dorcas, arms crossed even as he was asleep.

"I'm sorry, guys… thanks." He whispered, mostly to himself.

* * *

"Ugh…" Hector groaned, sitting against a pillar, he and Elwood alone in the main hall. "There's no way in hell I can fall back asleep after that episode. Thanks for screamin the castle down, Varric…"

Immediately Eliwood smacked Hector across the back of the head. "For Elimine's sake, Hector! The man looked half dead!"

"Yeah, over a DREAM. What is he, 7? Or is his imagination just as weird as his mannerisms?"

Eliwood looked legitimately upset with his fellow lord. "Hector, do you remember what I told _you_ he told ME?"

"...Alright, alright, I'm sorry, okay? Inform me." Hector muttered, reluctantly acknowledging he was going too far.

"He can't stand violence, not against people he cares about. That's what he told me." Eliwood stared into the wood of the table. "...He purposefully dehumanizes enemies so he can do his job; he can't dehumanize someone he guides, and therefore can't escape the fear of losing those people. I have no doubts that's what is haunting him."

"He's certainly strange." Hector murmured. "By default I would never expect that guy to be the type to lead a brigade, but he knows so many things about… a lot of things, really. You ever hear the guy ramble to himself? He lists off things I'm pretty sure none of us would understand."

Eliwood nodded. "And then there's the fact that he's not even from Elibe. I've never met anyone who isn't from Elibe. Have you?" he turned to Hector. "You've attended Ostian courts, perhaps-"

Hector rolled his eyes. "Yes, a few times I've seen people not from Elibe. A very select few times, and never did I get to talk with them, nor did I want to. It's always an ambassador of some sort. They speak almost as oddly as Varric but they don't speak _like_ him at all… To say nothing of if I know about their music."

Eliwood sighed. "To be honest, the reason I have no doubt in the fact that he's not from Elibe is that music. According to him, everything he plays is simply a recreation of what he's learned; they aren't his own compositions. It's like-"

"Wait." Hector went dead quiet. Eliwood opened his mouth but Hector held up a finger. "...you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Eliwood responded, but before he had even finished he made out the sound of strumming.

"Music." Hector replied before hurrying outside as quietly as he could.

* * *

Varric sat on a grassy ledge, formed by a rock jutting out of the side of a hill, lyre in hand watching the stars, speaking aloud.

"It's been so long since… well, since most of what I know got pulled out under my feet…"

The two Lords hid, a ways away but able to hear clearly in the dead of night.

"...You listening up there?" Varric said aloud, and both Lords did a double take.

" _Yes, I'm here."_ Naga replied, heard by Varric alone.

"I guess this is the part where you say "I told you so", huh?" Varric replied. He held back a laugh as he heard the divine sigh.

" _You can't carry all these burdens on your lonesome."_

"Weren't YOU the one who said there was a surprise to 'keep me in check' or whatever?"

" _Yes, but at this rate you'll be long scarred before it."_

There was a long pause before Varric spoke again. "...You know I'm grateful, as much as I fear what's to come...I'm glad I got to come to this land. It makes me feel like I truly have a purpose."

" _..."_

Varric sighed, before going back to playing melodies.

For what seemed like eons a soft melody hummed, before the two lords nearly jumped from cover when the tactician began to sing along to a very slow refrain.

 _ **What makes my life worth living?**_

 _ **Who's making real decisions?**_

 _ **Strung up by puppet strings and only I can see them…**_

 _ **In this dimension, crashed in**_

 _ **Wake up and smell the ashes**_

 _ **Living a half life with a dream to see their freedom...**_

On a dime the melody changed seamlessly into a more soothing yet ominous tune.

 **[to the tune of several segments of the song "Echoes"]**

 _ **I know only what I've seen  
I fear all that's in between  
I've seen them, I've dreamed them, this world where secrets bleed...  
Their echoes, I've seen them, the crutch on which I lean...**_

 _ **Am I afflicted? Must be afflicted...  
Or am I gifted? I could be gifted...  
My world is so far, I'll never reach home, at least I'm guided by the light of their echoes...**_

 _ **Do I trust my senses? Can't trust my senses...  
Truth is enlightening, but truth can be blinding...  
Form their protection, with my direction...  
Why must I hide it? I can't deny it...**_

 _ **Brought in...in this world i'm spawned  
Answers sought out from beyond...**_

 _ **Intrude in trials... intruded trials,  
No peace in death, there is no death...  
I'll stay here for them, I must stay for them,  
Give them the best...**_

 _ **Am I afflicted? Must be afflicted...  
Or am I gifted? I could be gifted...  
My world is so far, I'll never reach home, at least I'm guided, by the light of their echoes…**_

As the melody continued in the dead of night, Varric losing himself in his music, the two Lords silently left; Eliwood began asking himself how he planned to go about talking with Varric the next day.

* * *

 **Songs used in this chapter: To Be A Free Man (Half Life song by JT Music) and the melody of Echoes (Perception song by Andrea Storm Kaden)**


	35. Interval 13: Varric the Apostle

**A/N:**

 **JP I'm Italian: I just meant you pointed that out right before the nightmare. No, Varric is not gonna go full Spartan. Varric is way too cautious for that kind of approach to battle. As for the comparison to Michael, DAMMIT I was trying to avoid parallels, didn't even realize yeah they both had a nightmare at this point...though, the reasons were completely different. Michael was cursed to see visions, while Varric was simply guilt ridden about how he knew about the Caelin attack but wasn't telling the group to act on it because "protect the timeline," a notion mentioned in this chapter actually. As for the fear factor, personally I think my "nightmares" are pretty rubbish, at least compared to other stories I've read (Fire Emblem or otherwise). And it's warming to know someone else finds Rebecca and Varric's relation adorable**.

* * *

As dawn broke, within castle Laus Rebecca slowly opened her eyes.

"…hmmm …hm?" Immediately she realized she was in a bed, on her side. She sat up and noticed who was in the spot where SHE had fallen asleep.

Varric jolted awake as he was grabbed around the neck and shoulder, Rebecca clinging to him, quietly sobbing.

"You… you…!" She murmured through breaths, before Varric put an arm around her.

"It's okay. I'm fine now, I promise…" Varric reassured. "I'm sorry you had to see that." In response Rebecca simply clung tighter.

As the two sat there, Dorcas smiled as he leaned against the other side of the wall. " _They're good kids…"_

* * *

As everyone sat themselves in the main hall, Varric waited, seated at the head of the lengthwise table in the center.

Eliwood walked up to Varric, clearly nervous. "Er...Varric, could we perhaps talk one on one? There are things I want to-"

Varric held a hand up. "I know, Eli. Don't worry, I'll Address it all in a moment."

Eliwood blinked in surprise. "I-I see."

When everyone had seated, several stood off the Varric's side. A couple minds quickly pieced together that the group was entirely made up of people from the Caelin incident. Meanwhile, Marcus finished filling in the three heavyweight sleepers: Lowen, Bartre, and to everyone's surprise, Priscilla.

Varric stood. "There's something we need to discuss...or rather, I need to explain, before we continue on this journey."

The tactician took a deep breath. " _You can do this, you did it before, you can do it again…"_

"….."

The silence had an echo all its own as the tension in the room increased in direct proportion to the quiet for what seemed like forever.

"...Oy, get it out." Hector finally ordered.

Varric clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "Put simply: I'm not just not from Elibe; I'm not from this world."

For a moment one could hear a pin drop.

"What in blazes-" Marcus let slip.

"I've also seen this entire journey play out a dozen times over from my world. In my world, the events that transpire in this world are a fictitious story."

Eliwood and Hector just stared at Varric, along with others.

Rebecca seemed the most shaken. "V-Varric…? What are you… you can't be…"

Varric felt himself fill with dread, but was quickly grateful as Matthew put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder. "Let him speak, Rebec, okay? As crazy as it sounds, a lot of things make sense once you realize it."

Varric nodded in thanks. "A year ago, at the very start of the Caelin dispute, I was brought from my world into this one. In the version of the story told in my world, there was always a rarely shown but always present being: The Tactician. I awoke finding myself fulfilling that very role."

Hector frowned. "...so you're not a tactician yourself."

Marcus looked to the blue haired lord. "Sir Hector, you don't really-" he began before being shushed.

Varric closed his eyes in thought before responding. "...by my world's standards, no I am not. But by this world's, I can assure you I qualify. I never would've made it this far in the story if I weren't." His gaze steeled. "Truth be told, I wasn't much of anything before arriving here. It's here, however, I can help people."

Hector didn't waver. "So all your… mannerisms…"

Varric nodded. "Mannerisms, music, all of it is because i'm not from this world."

Oswin spoke up to the surprise of several. "I've picked up by now that you have an education in many areas. One could even fathom you're better educated than most lords. If you're from a world similar but separate to this one, much adds up."

Eliwood simply stared wide-eyed. " _What he was singing about… then it was…_ _And he's like a different person with that look. If he's telling the truth, what has he seen of our future?"_

Hector sighed. "And lastly, the reason you knew Ostia's spies was because you've heard stories in your world. I buy it." He turned and nudged Eliwood. "Hey, get it together."

Eliwood shook himself. "Y-yes."

Suddenly Guy spoke up. "You're Kākolūkīyam."

"I'm...I'm a what?" Varric replied. Likewise, the whole room looked at Guy as if he spoke complete gibberish.

"Kākolūkīyam." Guy repeated. "The closest translation i guess would be a 'World Walker'" the sacaen explained before elaborating. "The nomads have stories about people who come from the heavens, from beyond the stars, called by gods to lead us in times of need. Literally those who walk between worlds."

Varric blinked. "Y-Yes, that sums it up pretty well."

Eliwood turned back to Varric. "So you were called by a god?"

The tactician nodded. "The being correlates to the being described in the stories of my world as the Divine Dragon, Naga. From what I've seen, she seems to be far more than simply what she was described as in my world, though."

" _The being he was talking to last night…"_ Eliwood thought, looking to Hector and who clearly was thinking the same.

There was a thud, and the group turned around to see Lowen out cold. Marcus simply sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

* * *

As the group collected themselves, Eliwood and Hector were pulled aside by Erk and Matthew respectively.

"We know what you're gonna try to do…" Matthew began.

"Don't." Erk finished bluntly.

Hector shrugged innocently. "Don't what?"

Erk scoffed. "You, Lord Hector, are a new low in acting."

Matthew pulled the Lord before Erk started something ugly. "M'lord, I know it's tempting but if there's anything I learned during the Caelin incident with Varric it's that asking about the future will only cause him suffering…" Matthew went entirely quiet, drifting back to when he, Leila, and Varric sat around a table. "... _The look in his eyes when he told us of what's to come…"_

"OY!" Hector jolted, shaking the spy out of his drifting. "Look I…"

After a moment Hector simply sighed. "...alright. Fine. But I still have questions."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall...

Eliwood exhaled, utterly exasperated. "If he knows how things end, why would I not simply ask where my father is?!"

Erk remained stoic. "Because-"

Noticeable to everyone was Eliwood slowly but surely becoming truly angry. "My father is out there somewhere, probably in danger! At Santaruz we were told about Darin's involvement, who knows-?!"

"Be quiet." Erk ordered, causing several to raise an eyebrow, and Marcus to nearly charge in. Eliwood grit his teeth. "Compose yourself, Lord Eliwood." Erk continued. "...you just said so yourself: Darin, a man who has been rallying an army, is involved in this. And based on what I heard the fortune teller told you, you also know there is a third unknown party involved in all this."

Eliwood slowly leveled himself, and nodded. "...Yes. All of that is correct."

Erk sat down, calm as ever. "Then perhaps you might concur that there is far more to this than simply finding your father, such as stopping Darin."

Varric smiled, relieved at how Erk was handling what he had dreaded.

"If you knew the whereabouts of your father, you would be constantly distracted and the path you would take would be completely different than what Varric has seen from his other world perspective." the mage went on, having more than just Eliwood's attention at this point and well aware of that fact. "If we take a different path than what Varric has seen, Varric loses his ability to reliably guide us through and trials we must face."

Eliwood reluctantly nodded. "I… I understand. You're right, Erk...as frustrating as it may be."

Erk smiled. "Thank you for understanding. Believe me, most anyone would want to know what's in store for us. If any of us ask too many questions and venture beyond the immediate future, however, we risk losing everything should we receive answers. Varric only knows the story told in one baseline manner; as he's stated minor details are in flux but the frame is always identical. If we alter that framework, we are likely to only secure our own demise."

Varric noticed an archer with a voided gaze, and hesitantly walked over.

"R-Rebecca? Are you okay?" he asked before lightly shaking her shoulder.

Rebecca fumbled over her words. "That… This moment- I mean, this whole time you've time- you've been able to see…" she looked at Varric wide-eyed. "...How much do you know?"

"...A lot."

"T-too much?"

Varric's felt like he'd been gut punched, went wide eyed for a momentm, and took several seconds to regain composure before responding with a slight quiver in his voice. "Yeah… Yeah, too much-"

In a flash he was being hugged by a short green haired girl, barely sobbing. "I can't even imagine…" she whispered. "What that's like... The thought of it scares me…" the rest of the room had gone dead quiet as the sound of small sobs echoed.

Varric looked down at the archer for a moment before putting a hand on her head and arm around her.

* * *

After the group regathered themselves, Eliwood spoke up. "Varric, can I still ask what last night-"

"Yes." Varric cut off, before taking a deep breath. "Caelin is Darin's next target."

The entire room went dead quiet.

"Wh-what?" Serra squeaked.

"WHAT?!" Matthew and Erk yelled simultaneously.

Eliwood stood up. "We're leaving."

Varric shook his head. "You were right, we need rest-"

"TO HELL WITH REST!" Hector thundered as he slammed his fist on the table, causing Varric to nearly fall over. He looked Varric dead in the eye. "There are people you care about there, aren't there?!"

Varric reflexively nodded, and immediately he was grabbed by the lapels.

"THEN YOU NEED TO HELP THEM!"

Eliwood pried the blue lord off before looking Varric dead in the eyes "Varric, there are people very close to you in Caelin, right?"

"Y-Yes...yes, people I would give my life for." Varric responded, before quickly protesting: "But I can't risk yours-"

Eliwood put his hands on Varric's shoulders. " I know your situation, I know what you're trying to say, and I know the pain. But if things are going to only get more drastic, then you need to realize now there are times when you need to change things, and times you need to ask us for help." He looked to Erk. "I'm sure even you can agree."

Erk nodded. "Varric, you can't do everything alone, amd even then we'd RATHER know our comrades are in trouble than have it sprung on us when they're already under siege."

"I know what I said about resting…" Eliwood continued. "But we can always rest afterwards if it's truly needed." He turned to the group. "What say everyone?"

At once, from every single member, there was a resounding call: "AYE!"

Varric stared at the group, before wiping his eyes and slowly smiling. "...Thank you."

* * *

 **A/N: Isn't friendship beautiful? Too bad we can't end on a happy note. I'll just be transparent: Every single time I've tried to write Noble Lady of Caelin I get complete writer's block. Thanks to a previous conversation I had over a review I have a complete roadmap for the chapter but everytime I try to start writing it I can't for the life of me even figure out where to begin. I plan to just write scenes as they come to mind regardless of order when i feel inspired but this means it'll probably be a long time before next chapter is up. Worst case scenario there's an impromptu hiatus.**

 **Kākolūkīyam is a reference to the Prince of Persia trilogy (aka the good PoP games) where a localized version of the word is used as the name of a supposed special being who appears if you call out for it, a secret known only by the female lead. The Prince, who travels through time and space, ends up fulfilling this role. But even more fitting in my opinion is the actual fable the name is from, a Hindu moral teaching with the moral being "be careful what you say, lest you create trouble that could've been avoided" which i think is pretty fitting when Varric has to be careful how much he reveals about both himself and the future.**

 **Unrelated, but I'm actually going to be writing about writing this very story for my writing assignment in my Writing Tutoring college writing course where our writing assignment is writing a very special writing moment in our writing career- _Gunshot_. ...fine fine, I'll stop. But really, it's about Sponsorship Literacy and we're supposed to discuss and write about the most important moment of our lives when it comes to writing; for example, a moment where we had the epiphany that we were inspired to write. For me there's literally only one moment I can think of for the topic, and that's the night I started writing this story. Long story short, this story started out as a coping mechanism for a crippling loneliness and sense of lacking companionship. Quite literally a "hugging your pillow to your chest and crying" situation. Pathetic I know. …..actually if enough people care I could write a sort of "inspiration for this story" interval, just a long A/N talking about how I got here. Up to you guys. Ta-ta for now.**


	36. Real as Can Be 1: No Clue What I'm Doing

**So I felt like writing about the "real" world; I explain in the rant why I wrote what I felt like writing instead of focusing on the main story. I don't know how many of these kinds of chapters I'll write; maybe it'll be half a dozen, maybe this will end up being an intermediary Bount Arc where there'll be like 1 if these for every 3 regular chapters just spread out across the whole stpry. IDK, but I had fun writing this. Hope you enjoy! But uh...first a rantI wrote a while back that I haven't edited because I want to get across how I felt at that time.**

 **Heavenschoir: Dude, what did I say at the end of the last chapter? A bit of advice: no matter how friendly a writer is, don't ever tell them they need to upload more often. At least, don't do that if that person uploads at least once a month. Okay typing this out makes me think about how many other factors there are but BOTTOM LINE: If you want a writer to get angry with you, an easy way to do that is tell them they don't upload fast enough. I read fanfics long before I started writing and I get how torturous the wait can be, but you never know what's going on in the author's life; there could be all sorts of non-writing related reasons that they can't write often.**

 **To be clear I'm not upset with you specifically, this is actually a good chance for me to say this:**

 **I WILL FINISH THIS STORY. NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, I WILL FINISH IT. That being said, I can't promise anything in regards to upload frequency. The nature of my writing process dictates such. I write as a coping mechanism, and because of that it's actually hard for me to sit down and simply write. I keep a notes folder on my phone in which I regularly jot down any ideas I randomly get, what I'm saying is as lazy as this sounds, I legitimately can only write when I feel like it. I'm sorry but that's honestly how it is for me. Almost all of you have been incredibly supportive about my inability to regularly upload, but there's going to come a time at least once where you'll be miffed about this, and I don't blame you. If you ever want to discuss something in addition to a review, feel free to PM me. I love to discuss things in depth and more often than not it helps tremendously**

* * *

20XX, International and Secular College Institution, fall semester, opening week.

On the first floor of the co-ed dorm, there was a loud rapping against the window, and the student inside awoke.

Against the glass plane was a blond male tapping his wrist. "OY, IT'S RILEY!" He cried, voice muffled from the plane. The student in the room rolled off the bed, but just looked up from a prone position, unfazed. He mouthed a single word.

Riley rolled his eyes. "I left my room key in there, hurry up and get ready for class, and bring me my key, okay? Classes start in 10 minutes!" The moment the student inside nodded, the blonde took off.

"...sigh" the student said aloud before putting on a pair of headphones. Music began to play with the touch of a button.

" _I was born depressed and-uh,_

 _I end up in one big mess and  
Trip around it… Trip around it…"_

As the song played, the student splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth.

" _I was born jaded  
I lift one finger up to display it and  
Trip around it  
Trip around it"_

Every step and every stroke was in sync with the song.

" _Trip around it  
Trip around it_"

He took one last look in the mirror, saw his bedhead, and just shrugged.

" _Ah, ah…_ "

" _Born different"_

Black shirt…

" _Born innocent"_

Black hoodie…

" _Born perfect"_

"I'm not like you" the student sang quietly.

" _Born lover_ "

Laptop plastered with Witcher and Bloodborne stickers...

" _Born livid"_

Lanyard with ID, keys, and two seperate keychains of the same character...

"And I know. Why. I'm not like you! I was…"

" _Born clever"_

Gold and black scarf...

" _Born knowledgeable_ "

...and a PS Vita.

" _Born better than your best_ "

The student grabbed another set of keys from the opposite bed…

" _I swear I'm a born killer…_ "

...and slung his backpack on, switching from singing to whistling as he opened the door.

" _Born thriller…_ "

 **SLAM**

* * *

"Welcome to our campus's first ever hybrid course: Music Composition!" The teacher cheered; she couldn't have been out of her 20's but had a 1920's aesthetic, and her dark complexion made it stand out even more. "If you read the course description you'll know this is a combination of Songwriting and Musical Arrangement. Everyone here had a minimum requirement on their aptitude tests to ensure this still experimental class type can work."

There were murmurs as the class, a small one of about 23 students, settled into a circular seating arrangement.

"Alright, why don't we all introduce ourselves? We'll keep it relatively simple: give your name and reason for taking the course! I'm Tiana Rose, I'm here cause bitches gotta eat."

Most of the class burst into laughter at that, and even the more prudish and appalled hid a chuckle. As the laughter died down one student who had simply smiled spoke up; he was wearing a dark hoodie with a Guy Fawkes Mask on it with jet black T-shirt save for red and orange old norse style markings in the shape of a wolf. Despite it being cold as Hel itself that day, he was wearing knee length shorts. "Gavin. Gavin Míraclos." He pronounced the surname with a hispanic accent, treating the i as a double e. He shrugged the hood off, revealing wireless headphones hooked around his ears, but self evidently not listening to anything. He continued speaking softly and bluntly. "I have an eidetic memory for music but memorizing composition and understanding it are two different things." Despite speaking first it was clear it was to get it out of the way rather than any sort of eagerness. He sat removed from the circle by at least a meter and never stood nor removed his hands from his pockets when speaking.

Another boy stood up. He had a royal purple shirt with dark gold long pants. Despite the unusual sense of fashion he somehow managed to remain indistinct. His eyes were bright blue and hair dirty blonde. "Riley Young, I like to think I'm a pretty good composer already, I've been writing pieces since I was 12, but I could never figure out songwriting. I hope to change that. To be honest I've been given flak for attending college when I already know I want to make music, but I'm here on scholarship and thought I could pick up a few skills to fall back on in addition to the music thing-" He stopped short when he saw the teacher shift her position. "Oh crap, not supposed to talk about the scholarship stuff…" He muttered, eliciting a few snickers as he sat back down. "Sorry for going on one there." He said as he awkwardly scratched his head. The way he spoke so casually through it all gave a distinct impression he was incredibly laid back.

The next person to stand was a girl dressed in almost exclusively in relatively simple black and white clothing save a pair of punk goth boots, though she didn't have gothic makeup or the like. Her platinum blonde hair nearly reached her lower back but was incredibly well kept. "Hi!" she exclaimed with a large hint of canadian accent. "I'm Tabitha Strong, I'm taking this course as one of my steps towards musical theatre and voicework."

A girl with middling skin tone and a green sweater that had to be at least one if not two sizes two big held her hand up and stood. "My name's Kay! Same here, I _love_ musical theatre!"

…..

A few minutes passed as most all the rest of the students gave their name and reasoning, with most people either being interested in original composition or musical theatre.

A guy with a red beanie and clean shave stood. "Jonathan Green. I'm really into cover albums but I want to learn the difference between copying and covering; figured I should learn about composition before learning about recording."

Lastly a bright red haired girl with freckles stood. Out of all the people there she stuck out most, by a country mile. She had a green balmoral as well as a yellow and navy blue Sukajan with a tiger on the back. "Aye lads! Oim Ashelay, Ashe fer short!" She introduced with her voice essentially 1% English and 99% Scottish. Several looked at her in confusion. "...Oh, sorree, jus got back tae states from viztin me fam…" she cleared her throat several times. "...I can talk like this, if it's more helpful. My name is Ashely Hyles." She said in perfect American English, although based on her facial expression it took a small amount of conscious effort on her part.

Tiana stood. "Now that we've had a round of intros, let's go over the syllabus and basic concepts for the course…"

"...alright, now for the last 30 minutes we'll split into groups of 3. Write a response to our talk on the pros and cons of standardized writing and music, then discuss those views with your partners." As soon as the professor finished speaking, people began organizing into groups, save for a couple students. Gavin sat at his desk and began writing in silence. Eventually the classroom quieted a bit as the groups finished forming.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" A voice asked. Gavin glanced up to see Ashely standing there, hand on an adjacent desk. Gavin simply silently nodded as he made sure his hood was entirely over his head, but took out one earbud to make it clear he could still hear. "So what're your thoughts on things?"

"...standardization kills creativity." Gavin replied bluntly. "Because the system doesn't standardize, it homogenizes."

Ashely nodded. "Yeah, I get what you mean. _He's a wee bit emo._ " She didn't seem interested much in writing her own response down. "So, you said your name was Gavin, I think, right?"

Gavin nodded slightly. Up close Ashley could see how unnaturally pale his skin was. "...you sure you wouldn't rather be in another group? I'm not much of a talker." Gavin explained, before adding "and I don't want to bring your grade down by not discussing enough or something."

Ashely smiled, to which immediately Gavin broke eye contact, before Ashely replied "Nah, I ain't got issue with it. Seems you're a bit introverted, right? In my experience, introverts make for good discussion partners!"

"...Is that so?" Gavin replied after a pause. "Well if you're sure…"

Ashely drummed her fingers against the table before sighing. "So to be honest, I don't really have that much to discuss about the topic. You?"

Gavin shrugged, and there was a muffled clinking sound from his lanyard. "Hey what's that around your neck?"

Gavin blinked, evidently surprised. "It's… it's a replica scarf; a replica of something from a video game-"

Ashley was snapping her fingers. "Yeah I knew I recognized that design! It's uh...whatsit- Dishonored!" The moment she dropped the name, Gavin's face lit up like a spotlight, and it took everything Ashely had not to giggle at the sudden change.

"You know it?"

Ashely nodded. "I'm not too good at games, but me twin's got a collection big 'nough to keep 'im busy for the next decade and a half."

"Is that so? So, uh…what're your thoughts on the series?" Gavin asked, although his inflections made it easy to tell it was taking a lot of restraint to not immediately take over the conversation.

Ashely smiled at that. "I dunno much about it, I just remember the girl from the second game; she's the one with that scarf, right? She seemed really nice. What's her story?"

"Her name is Emily Kaldwin!" Gavin began with pure enthusiasm. "In the second game she's an empress, but she appears as a kid in the first game…"

* * *

Shortly after class ended, Gavin and Ashely walked out of the building, still talking.

"-so yeah, that's the simplified version of Prey's premise."

Ashely chuckled. "I'd hardly call all that neurology jargon simple. So do you have lunch break now too?"

Gavin nodded. "Yeah, suppose I should get going-" before he could finished Ashely waved it off.

"Not a chance, mate! We haven't finished our convo until I've done at least half as much talkin as you! C'mon, if we hurry we can get there before there's a line!"

Gavin stared at her. "R-really? I don't wanna be a bother- hey!" He cried as he was immediately pulled along by the hand. Ashely didn't let on but she could feel the boy's pulse skyrocket.

" _Ah swear, this boy desperately needs someone…"_ She thought to herself.

* * *

Ashely cheerily placed her tray down at a raised table by the glass walls of the mess hall. Opposite her was Gavin, staring at the meal of 2 radically different burgers, fries, fruit, and milk that dwarfed his half portion of chicken and rice with a cup of diet soda. "Now then…" Ashely began. "Speak yer mind! Ya clearly got sumthin onnit."

Gavin shifted in his seat. "I mean, Ashely-"

"Ashe."

"...Ashe, I just never thought people like you actually existed."

"Waddya mean?"

"I mean the kind of person who… just all of today. Seeks out introverts, shows a legitimate interest in them, drags them by the hand to go get lunch…" Gavin looked at the window, trying to avoid eye contact as he reddened.

Ashe started laughing. "Ya really are just like me brother!" Gavin jolted and gave a puzzled look. "Remember how I told ye bout his game collection? Well a few years back I asked him why he played so many games. Know what he told me? It was the cheesiest thing, but so understandable to me."

Gavin had a small smile. "I...I think I know. It's why I play games…"

Ashe nodded. "That's why I seek people out. When you told me how you pmayed Dishonored I knew for sure you were like him. People who think that way are wonderful people, don't let anyone tell ya otterwise."

Gavin pulled his scarf around his face.

"What are- awwww, ye blushin'?!" Ashe teased, to which Gavin pulled his hood down, only making her laugh more.

* * *

As the two walked out of the cafeteria, Ashely unzipped her Sukaja. "Man, bloody weather skyrocketin'…" under her jacket was a crimson shirt with the word Valkyrie across it and a winged helmet, but that wasn't what got Gavin's attention.

"H-hey, are you alright?!" He exclaimed.

Ashely looked at him puzzled, before realization dawned on her. "...oh! Ye mean-"

"Your arm, it's bruised to hell and back!" Gavin replied. "Sh-should I take you to the clinic or-" before he could finish Ashe waved it off, although she was smiling wide.

"Nah, don't worry bout it. Ya know what Roller Derby is?" Ashe asked, to which Gavin stared in awe.

"Seriously…? That's… that's awesome!" He cried.

Now it was Ashe's turn to turn a bit red. "Ye really think so? Most people say stuff about how I'm just gonna get my body broken, irresponsibility and unladylike, all that crap…"

Gavin scoffed. "Screw that, Derby girls are friggin badass! That stuff is like ice hockey, except the Canadian league where you have to be able to handle getting the absolute shit kicked outta ya!" He sighed. "Honestly, I _wish_ I had half as much capability as people who do stuff like roller derby." He looked back up to see Ashe smiling wide.

"Well aren't you fullla surprises? Most people don't even mention the bruises, they getreal uncomfortable." As Gavin was about to reply, an alarm started beeping and Ashely checked her phone. "...a bleedin 'ell…" she quickly pocketed it. "I gotta get ready for me next class. Catcha later, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure!" Gavin replied. "I'll, um… I'll see ya around."

With a smile and slap on the back, Ashely ran off, leaving Gavin standing there in contemplation.

* * *

As Riley lay snoring lightly under three separate blankets, Gavin wrote in a small leatherbound book, the only light being the moonlight coming in through the window pane.

Y/ZZ/20XX: _Today I met someone who i hope I get to know as much as possible. Ashely Hyles from music class. She's Scottish, into roller derby, takes Martial Arts, (probably has beautiful singing voice), awesome fashion sense, really really nice. Can't let Riley figure it out yet, will never hear the end of it. Still, hope we become good friends. Feel like I can speak with her without having to act different than how I really am. She even understood why I love so many games; they give me a chance to escape to a world where i'm something greater, someone better… no one has ever been so understanding right off the bat. I don't think I have feelings for her, but there's still something about her that makes me already miss her._

 _P.S. Riley I swear to fucking Christ on a bike, if you read this again then you better keep your trap shut cause if you tease me or something you'll wake up missing a kidney._

* * *

 **Retcon: Ashely is scottish. Deal with it. (She can speak American English with a slight amount of conscious effort though, so no rewrites are necessary)**

 **On a completely unrelated but important note, thinking of adding some new villains. Enemy leaders and the like, people like Ursula or Ephidel, or to take examples from other games: people like Narcian and Valter, the irredeemable bastard who serves the villain without fail. Not Galle/Gale or Murdock types who are very much redeemable/good people with noble intentions but are just on the wrong side. If you have any suggestions please DM me, do not reply to this through a review. The more the merrier so don't hesitate to leave a suggestion. Disclaimer: these characters will not be used for major chapters, but they will still have a crucial role in the story due to a certain...event.**

 **Seriously it would help a lot. There is one qualifier: these villainous figures are all in complete service to Bern (they can be loyal to others but they must be first and foremost loyal to Bern). Oh and remember these will be original but still treated as if proper fire emblem characters. Please keep that in mind when penning a suggestion.**

 **Here is a rubric for a detailed character submission, if you want to have a bit more control over your suggestion as opposed to just throw something out there for me to potentially misinterpret. Asterisk denotes not important**

 **Name:  
Gender:  
Alias(es):  
*Age: (at least vague estimate)**

 ***Height:  
*Body type:**

 **Appearance:  
-*skin tone  
-*eye color  
-hair color  
-armor/clothing  
-mount if possesses one**

 **Full Bio or TLDR summary:  
-goals, ambitions, etc  
-already established relationships**

 **Personality:  
-motivations  
-*relations with other characters  
-defining traits**

 **Class:  
-unique or prominent combat methods/tactics  
-tactical abilities and priorities  
-unique weapon if they posses one**

 ***[Optional]  
Quotes to demonstrate speaking style and attitude  
Music theme (can be instrumental or lyrical, and be from any source)**


	37. Real as Can Be 20: A LITTLE HELP'S NICE

**Last chapter said "A bit of advice: no matter how friendly a writer is, don't ever tell them they need to upload more often. At least, don't do that if that person uploads at least once a month."**

 **Well, uh...i mean, technically it won't have been tomorrow. Also fuck what i said before. Also Also speaking of dates, this story is now over a year old. Crazy. (Well over a year if you count the fact that I had the first handful of chapters written months in advance if publishing any of them)**

 **You may have noticed how bleeding short this "chapter" is. Well it's not a full chapter but i had to put in SOMETHING because pure update chapters aren't allowed or something.**

 **Of course it hasn't been exactly easy to continue, not just because of the already mentioned reasons but because I have gotten ZERO FEEDBACK ON THE LAST CHAPTER! NOTHING. NADA. NICHEGO. NIHIL. That's not just relegated to this site, i got nothing from anyone else I shared this with.**

 **So to put it simply, WHAT THE F GUYS?! Did you _REALLY_ have to go and do this to me the exact same time I try something completely new with the story?!**

 **Not trying to pass the buck or anything but if no one is gonna give me feedback then expect the output to get a whole lot slower. I have 3 more flashback chapters before going back to the main story, it actually IS important it be that way, these flashback chapters aren't pure fluff and you'll eventually see why.**

* * *

"Look, all I'm saying is it it wouldn't hurt to at least give a little less homework on the weekends, let alone the first weekend of the semester."

Gavin didn't even turn to face Riley as he got a lunch tray and moved forward in the queue.

"Pretty sure the whole point is that the homework is just ways of studying. The fact we never turn it in is a pretty big tip off to that

"OK but it's already lunch time and my entire Saturday has been work!"

Wordlessly Gavin filled his tray while Riley rambled on from tangent to tangent before the two sat at the far end of the bustling mess hall, no sooner had he set his tray down then Riley finished. "...So, anything of note happen to you this week? To be honest I was expecting a lot more to happen this first week than what actually did. Then again supposedly they'll be setting up events all throughout the next month…"

Gavin shrugged. "No, not really." " _If I tell him about Ashely I'll never hear the end of it-"_

His thought was cut off as a tray dropped down at the third seat of the table startled them both with loud crash. "Hou's it gaun mannies?"

Ashley was there with green bonnet sticking out her pocket, and somehow well into the day having behead with her fiery hair sticky up all over the place. Riley readjusted himself wearily. "...Oh, you're the scot from music class. Uhh… ya need something?"

She sat at the table smiling wide as always. "Saw a mate sittin in teh corner n tought sod it, an ere I am!"

Riley thought for a moment. " _'Mate'? But I don't know her… which means-"_ his head turned to Gavin who was dead silent but conveniently looking away. "...Wow, didn't think she'd be your type, Gavin. Actually I didn't think you had a type at all-"

"One more word and you'll find your face planted firmly on the tray." Gavin warned.

Ashely chuckled. "I'm nottis hen, jus ta-mate." She glanced her reflection in the glass and licked her hans before stroking her hair down and back. "...sides, prolly ahnt nearly tidy nuff for him."

"Don't sell yourself so short." Gavin said quietly and without thinking. By the time he realized he'd said it aloud, Ashely's face was ever so slightly red, which highlighted the freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheekbones. She looked normal though next to Gavin, who was pulling his hood over a now crimson face.

Riley looked between the two and laughed. "I can't believe you can even understand her. But don't take what Gav said personally. Or do, I dunno."

Ashely tilted her head. "Eh?"

As Gavin busied himself with his meal Riley looked to Ashely. "Gavin tells it as he sees it, if he sees someone he thinks is beautiful he'll say as much, even if he's only got platonic emotions and even if it embarasses the hell outta him everytime he lets those comments slip out."

Ashely looked to Gavin before laughing. "Aw, ye wee shy Romeo." She turned to Riley. "So I'm guessin' yer 'is roomy?"

Riley nodded. "And you must be the reason Gav disappears for the rest of the day after every music class."

Gavin kept his head down, eating in silence as the two exchanged words mainly at his expense.

* * *

 **Oh in addition to the lack of feedback you can add crippling academic pressure, repeatedly nuked morale, and stress induced panic attacks to things.**


	38. Chapter 15: We Now Return to your RSP

**BOY DO I LOVE WRITER'S BLOCK, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT SETS IN JUST AS YOU THINK YOU CAN GET BACK TO WRITING NOW THAT IT'S SUMMER BREAK. Ugh… Hopefully at the very least, the twists and turns within the next few chapters will make the wait somewhat worth it.**

 **To everyone who responded, THANK YOU.**

 **But at the same time alot of people are saying they didn't say anything because they found the sudden shift off putting and boring, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO KNOW. I already planned out like half a dozen other "Real as Can Be" chapters… But at the very least now I know to go back to the main story and focus on that until there's an actual transition.**

 **The "Real As Can Be" stuff is basically equivalent to extended universe, not in any way mandatory but very very important to understanding a lot about a handful of characters. I will also make the transition to those chapters existent rather than just suddenly switching to them. In hindsight it makes sense that people probably won't really care about them; the audience is FE fans, they're gonna want FE stuff. I made the mistake of getting into the mindset that people were just as invested in Varric himself as the Fire Emblem aspect of the story, when the thing people are ACTUALLY invested in when it comes to Varric isn't so much what makes him tick as it is how he interacts with the pre-existing FE cast and his fulfilling of the tactician role.**

 **...That being said: as mentioned there are still gonna be several more RACB chapters down the line, because some of them really will add to the impact of certain moments. For a character's actions to have emotional weight, one needs to know what is and isn't their typical personality and attitude. EX: a normally self centered person performing acts of kindness is a lot more noteworthy than an openly altruistic person helping others. Aside from a few lines in the prologue, before these RACB chapters I never really gave any indication what Varric is typically like as opposed to when he's in fictional universe where he knows the central characters of that universe like the back of his hand.**

 **Currently trying to think of a good transition into them, or at least a way to transition at all, but there will certainly be at least 2 more RACB chapters before Port of Badon.**

 **Special shoutouts to Simmedon for being straightforward and blunt about the fact that alot of people just aren't interested in the non FE stuff, it honestly was a jolt I needed to get back into the mindset of putting FE first, my original characters a distant second. GrimaxNaga for clarifying how jarring the shift was and the lack of clarity as to why it's necessary, and just as much thank you to those who put up with the extremely poor execution of the first flashback and supported me through it despite that, Hammersamatom and QuilavaMan89, and just as usual thank you to everyone else who left reviews giving feedback.**

* * *

The group was much more quiet than normal as Varric sat upon Huey's back, writing fervently on parchment.

"... **cough.** " Hector let out. "Can we uh...get a briefing on what exactly to expect, tac?"

Varric looked up from his writing. "Huh? Oh, sure."

Eliwood and several others turned their focus to Varric. "Yes, it would be best if we start mentally preparing ourselves now."

"Well, first thing that'll happen is a pegasus knight in service to Caelin will drop in on us to notify us of Lyndis's location." Varric began, and the legion members among them exchanged knowing smiles. "At that point we'll likely split into two groups."

"Likely?" Eliwood repeated.

Varric shrugged. "I don't know if things will have changed since we set out earlier than expected. the slightest difference can necessitate an entirely different plan of action-" At that a gust of wind blew one of pages away, which was immediately caught by Matthew.

"Ya know I've said it before," the thief began, "But you really are a full on tactician now, not just the stranger found in the middle of nowhere from last year." He chuckled but it died off as he looked at the paper. "...wow, that's a LOT of detail."

Hector was visibly intrigued and snatched the page from the thief. "What are you on about…" he went dead quiet along with the rest of the group as his brow furrowed, before looking right at Varric. "Oy, you said you weren't a real tactician."

"What's the matter, Hector?" Eliwood said as his confusion grew. It was his turn to look at the paper, to which there was a soft sound of awe.

Varric looked like his nerves had been shot. "What?! What's wrong?!"

Matthew spoke for the lords, grinning wide he slapped Varric on the knee. "Varric, this is the kind of thing you see from those professionals we mentioned back in Ostia. You don't get to say you aren't a real tactician then write up those kinds of plans and maps."

Varric went a bit red. "Well… maybe it means something here, but in my world it'd just be seen as scribbles…"

"This ain't your world, green boy." Hector responded. "And honestly, I still doubt this kind of thing is normal in your world." He looked to the tactician for a response.

"Well, I mean, yeah…it's a bit overtly detailed but-" Varric began before shaking his head. "Whatever, we can talk about that later! Give that back!" He cried before snatching it back and overlooking it. "I'm still not sure about this one…" he muttered as he looked it over.

"We're almost within line of line of sight." Marcus announced, bringing the group to a stop.

* * *

Varric tossed a bag of money at Hannah in silence, to which the old woman chuckled before breathing deep.

"...Tempting as it may be to put a rat down, you best refrain from killing any of the vermin scurrying about; deadly force begets death on all sides…" she opened her eyes and dryly smiled. "Thank you for your patronage!"

As the group readies themselves Varric was deep in thought with Eliwood by his side. "So…" the red haired lord began. "We are to refrain from killing?"

Varric nodded. "Pretty much. Our best bet is to free up Chloe and her men wherever they're pinned down; no way we can hold off the Laus soldiers long without lethal force."

"Hey, isn't that a pegasus?" Hector asked, to which Varric took a few steps back.

The legion members smiled, sans Erk, who cast a bolt of lightning at an archer taking aim. "Just as you said." The mage noted to Varric.

Unfortunately, the bolt caught the pegasus off guard, causing Huey to freak out and crash land next to and slightly on Hector.

"GYAK!" The Axe lord cried, struggling to get up from under the front weight of the flying horse. "What the heck did I do to deserve- OW!" He cried as Florina landed on him and let out a shriek.

"OHMYGOSHI'MSOSORRYPLEASEDON'T-"

She began speaking rapidfire but stopped when Hector raised himself, extremely annoyed but overall unharmed. The androphobe shriveled to a fraction other normal volume, looking more timid than before.

Hector sighed in anger "Lady, you better-!"

Again the lord was cut off as Eliwood stepped in before anything got out of hand. "Enough, Hector! We have more pressing matters!"

Florina blinked. "It… it really is you, Lord Eliwood! Thank the gods it's really you!"

Eliwood smiled reassuringly. "We're here to help." Meanwhile Priscilla was fantically checking Hector to make sure he wasn't hurt.

Florina looked ready to cry. "Oh thank you thank you thank you! Lady Lyndis...she said…" the lavender knight shook her head. "No, I have to be strong…"

Eliwood gestured behind her. "The one who deserves thanks is standing behind you."

"Behind?" Florina echoed before turning around to see Varric, waving awkwardly.

"Hey Flo-" before the tactician could finish his second word he was practically tackled by Florina and barely managed to avoid crashing to the ground.

"Va… Va… WAAAAAHHH!" Florina burst into tears hugging onto Varric for dear life.

Varric simply put an arm around her. "It's okay, Florina, it's okay…"

Finally, after a good deal of crying, With a sniff Florina wipes her eyes. "L-Lady Lyndis was right, I knew she'd be…"

"Where is Lyndis?" Erk asked. "Not to ruin the reunion, but we should get moving."

Florina nodded. "The soldiers and Chloe are in the barracks, Lyndis and several Legion members are to the west of the castle, south from where we are."

Varric nodded and got out a parchment. "Alright, I think it best that the Dorcas, Matthew, Serra, Erk, Florina, and Eliwood all go join Lyn and carry out the plan in tandem with the rest of us working from our end to cut down their ranks enough that we break out Chloe and her men; once that's done they should be able to keep things under control while we sort out the leaders." He handed a copy to Eliwood. "We'll rendezvous at the castle gates when we break them out of the barracks."

The red haired lord nodded, but turned back to Varric. "Are you certain you wouldn't rather lead from there and have us take care of things here, though? I'm certain-"

Varric held up a hand and shook his head. "I'll stop you there. I know you mean well, Eliwood, and as much as I want to do exactly that, I'll just be a distraction."

"So you're gonna split the group so they all reunite without ya? Make up your mind." Hector remarked, to which Varric calmly turned to him.

"They're in a bad spot right now and morale is probably at an all time low; familiar faces will help immensely with that." At Varric's response the axe lord was silenced as he considered the statement.

As the groups began to split, two figures remained.

Varric looked up from his plan. "Florina, Dorcas, you guys are with-"

"With all due respect, boss," Dorcas began, "I'll stay here. We can't spread too thin, and who else'll keep Bartre from killing himself?"

Varric quickly realized there was no point to arguing and nodded. "Fine, but what about you Florina?"

Florina took a deep breath. "L-Lady Lyndis knows I made it, and I can do a lot more here than there; the archers have their backs to us here, and I with Huey you could get a sky view to plan things out!"

Varric couldn't hide his surprise. "That's...That's very well thought out, Florina." He said before smiling.

As soon as the two were alone, Florina began shuffling. "Um, Varric? I didn't want to worry the others but… I don't think Lady Lyndis and the others have enough strength left to make it out of there without getting hurt."

Varric grinned at that. "Already planned for, Florina. In fact, you staying here is gonna make that part of the plan go a lot smoother!"

* * *

Sain grimaced as he had his back to a barn wall, several others within. "Lady Lyndis, when me and Kent charge, that'll give you an opportunity to break through their ranks, you can flee-"

"NO!" Lyn snapped, her anger evident at the mere suggestion. "I will _not_ abandon you. Florina must have gotten through by now, just a bit longer…"

Wil sighed. "Lady Lyndis, we can't hold out much-"

The archer was interrupted by a scream that alerted all 4 of the group.

"AAAGH!" A soldier cried out, followed by several others, as his body spasmed from the electricity coursing through it, alive but unable to move properly. Meanwhile a pair of soldiers surrounding the opposite side of the barn were taken from behind in a choke hold, and another knocked out with a heavy _THUNK_ of a staff. The remaining soldiers hesitantly backed away as they realized almost immediately their numbers had been halved.

A red haired lord approached them. "You need not die this day; retreat now and I will grant you safe passage back to your general." After mere moments of hesitation, the remaining forces nearly tripped over themselves as they fled. Sain and Kent stepped out of the barn, weapons drawn.

"Who-?!" Kent began before both registered just who was in front of them, as Erk, Eliwood, Serra, and Matthew were there to greet the group.

"Glad we made it to the party!" Matthew said cheerily before he and Serra rushed over.

The cleric's staff was already glowing. "All of you hold still, this'll be quick!"

The knights were clearly exhausted, as neither had more than a weary smile to give. Lyn was analyzing the group with a mixture of weariness and relief as well as a twinge of disappointment. Wil, on the other hand…

"Not gonna lie," the archer began, "thought we were pretty much done for!" He laughed before awkwardly trailing off, at which point Erk saved him from an even more awkward silence.

"Come now." The purple mage chided with a smirk. "You didn't seriously think our leader wouldn't have planned for all this, did you?"

As the group lit up, Eliwood stepped forward and handed them a piece of parchment. "Varric sends his regards."

* * *

With a silent _THUNK_ the last archer, one of many to bear the brand of the Fang, dropped dead. The huntress waved forward "Alright, go!" She called in a whisper yell, at which point Florina immediately took off.

"Hey, it's that pegasus!"

"Didn't we already take it out?!"

"What the HELL are our archers doing-"

The third soldier was cut off as he was knocked out with a single blow to the back of his skull by Dorcas, Bartre and Marcus doing the same in a coordinated effort to knock each out before they could alert another.

A nearby Fang spy began to rush off, but made too much noise for his own good and a handaxe embedded itself in his skull courtesy of an Axe Lord. Before a shaman could finish her spell she was skewered from behind by a lance which Oswin quickly retracted, and with a quick spin clean of blood.

The group quickly gathered together, three bodies being dragged among them. "That's the last of the Fang in the area," Marcus began, "From here on out use nonfatal means of taking out the enemy.

Hector scoffed. "Easier said than done, the sooner we get to the central area the better; there are still plenty of Fang there to take down."

"O-okay then…" Lowen said hesitantly as Oswin shook his head. "Well, according to the plans Varric left we actually DO need to make our way there as soon as possible and be ready to join with the other group as soon as possible. The bulk of the Laus forces will be handled by Caelin's forces." As Oswin folded back up the parchment, Rebecca saddled with him, taking the guide from the cavalier.

"I'll be the guide, thank you." She huffed. "Leave things to the trained hunter."

* * *

"NOW!" Lyn cried, and several members of the group broke through the blockade at the barracks. No sooner had it been done then soldiers began to rush out, already at arms. Lyn wasted no time in joining the fray, cutting her way through the Fang while weaving around the Laus soldiers and leaving them for Caelin's own men to handle. Not far behind her were matthew and Erk, while the knights helped Caelin's soldiers get organized enough to coordinate their attack. Eliwood immediately sought out Chloe and barely registering her normally off putting figure went into discussion. "Chloe Eagler?"

The female berserker turned her head. "Ah, Elbert's kid. Thanks for the help." She grinned as she fetched a rather large weapon. "Why don't you take a rest, me and my men can-"

Eliwood quickly shook his head. "No, we will continue to fight. But our tactician has requested that I implore you to not kill the enemy soldiers, please stop them before they begin to strike down the enemy!"

To the red lord's surprise, Chloe began laughing as she walked out of the barracks. "Oh, you don't need to worry. I know all about who to kill and who to spare." True to her word, the Caelin soldiers were expertly disarming those under Laus command. When Eliwood was clearly shocked, she continued. "Me and my father always taught disarming the opponent as the very basics of combat… We never wanted to give an enemy an excuse to call us the villain." As the Laus soldiers were forced to flee, among them were soldiers not even disarmed, desperate to cover their defenseless allies. Chloe smiled. "...and it works wonders at confusing and dispersing the enemy as well."

With a sudden cry, she charged into the fields with Eliwood, Wil, and Serra right behind.

It wasn't long into the battle though before the Laus and Fang became divided, and the Fang more coordinated as a result. The exhaustion in Lyn and her allies, as well as the already somewhat starved Caelin soldiers, began to clearly show and the pushback hit them hard with a sudden surge from the enemy.

"HOLD!" Kent cried, before grunting as he narrowly avoided another cavalier's lance. Sain quickly covered his partner, his breath ragged.

Chloe glanced at the many tiring men at her back. "Tch…" She let out. "Damn scumbags." She muttered before charging, holding off at least a dozen men on her own, her exhaustion fully suppressed.

Suddenly, at the point where the two groups were about to meet, a pegasus flew in and single handedly took out a heavily armored knight, knocking him to the ground out cold.

"Florina!" Lyn cried, quickly shifting position as best she could, but her movements were rapidly becoming less fluid as fatigue set in. There was a blur before a soldier about to blindside her was in turn blindsided by Marcus, who offered the lord a seat on his mount, silently nodding to Lyn before the swordswoman gratefully accepted his offer.

" _Varric, I hope you have a plan for this…"_ Eliwood thought as he headed towards the absolute clusterfuck that was the center fray.

* * *

 _SCHINK_

 _SCHINK_

 _SCHINK_

 _SCHINK_

 _SCHINK_

 _SCHINK_

What started as a whisper was soon a fully echoing, repeating sound of iron hitting rock.

"Do you guys hear whistling?" Sain asked. Sure enough there was a whistling and soon after a humming. As the legion looked around they realized it was coming from the castle. Many soldiers both Laus and Fang also took notice and those not directly engaged in combat looked around in confusion. A voice cut through the air, high above the noise of battle.

" _ **Cold, the air and water flowing…"**_

As the Laus soldiers looked in confusion, the legion and caelin soldiers turned to the immediately recognizable voice and the accompanying music. "Wait a minute…" Kent murmured as realization set in.

" _ **Hard, the land we call our home…"**_

A sudden burst of aurora-like light spread out overhead, an energy recognizable only to the legion.

" _ **Push, to keep the dark from coming**_

 _ **Feel the weight of what we owe..."**_

The aurora rapidly grew larger but less vivid, spreading itself farther but thinner for it.

" _ **This, the song of sons and daughters,"**_

The aurora began to flow into the Caelin soldiers and the Legion, each strand glowing from within. Every recipient felt rejuvenation spread from within.

" _ **Hide, the heart of who we are…"**_

"Isn't this… Nils's work?" Serra asked aloud, before Erk shook his head. "No, Nils' was much stronger, and only affected one at a time."

" _ **Making peace to build our future…"**_

As the heads quickly determined the source of the music, all eyes settle upon a figure at the front balcony of the castle. Standing there with instrument in hand and a wide grin across his face was Varric, singing through the smile unhindered.

" _ **Strong, united, working 'till we fall."**_

With a strum the energy resonated, and rejuvenation spread through the soldiers. In immediate understanding, both the Legion and Caelin's forces redoubled their efforts, almost immediately overwhelming the remaining forces. A Fang monk took aim, needles poised at the tactician, only for each one to be knocked out of the sky by a smiling Serra before Bartre felled the defenseless light mage in one blow. Varric all the while only sang louder.

" _ **Cold: the air and water flowing.**_

 _ **Hard: the land we call our home.**_

 _ **Push to keep the dark from coming,**_

 _ **Feel the weight of what we owe."**_

Wil reached for his quiver only to find he was on his last arrow. Before he could notch it, there was a snap behind him and immediately he spun around and jammed the arrow through the neck of a rogue as if it were a dagger, smiling like an idiot, indifferent to the violence. Not far off, Rebecca stared wide-eyed as she lowered her weapon, the shot she'd lined up no longer needed. Just as quick she wove through the field towards Wil, with enough arrows for the both of them

Chloe let out a joyful laugh as the Laus soldiers rapidly began dropping weapons, this time of their own accord. "About time…" She turned to her men. "Keep them at bay, boys. I'll go help our rescuers." With a cry she jumped forward, her rounded, cleaver-like axe cutting through a barbarian completely, adding one more to the Fang's rapidly growing fatalities, only their very strongest on the field remaining, surrounding the general.

" _ **This: the song of sons and daughters!**_

 _ **Hide the heart of who we are!**_

 _ **Making peace to build our future...**_

 _ **Strong, united, working 'till we fall!"**_

As Lyn jumped from horseback right into the fray, smiling in spite of herself out of sheer joy, she took out two unprepared mercenaries with one blow, earning a cheer from Sain. "Brilliant, Lady Lyndis!" He cried, before Kent blocked a flanking blow.

"FOCUS!" the red knight barked, although it was hard to take him seriously with his downright giddy expression. Neither wasted any time and worked in perfect sync. Along with the duo of Bartre and Dorcas working almost as well together, they began to make quick work of any melee units. Meanwhile the other two duos of archers and mages had set themselves up to attack in perfect synchronization, resulting in a continuous stream of ranged attacks.

" _I'm starting to think I can just sit this one out."_ Priscilla thought as she just smiled awkwardly behind the frontline.

A pegasus began to fly down from above, having moved silently and unnoticed back to the top of the castle and now descending with an extra passenger. The glow around Varric was only now beginning to fade, his words keeping many just strong enough to continue the fight.

" _ **And we all lift, and we're all adrift together, together…"**_

The final group of guards fell at their feet, their Fang insignias alight as Erk's magic consumed their bodies.

" _ **Through the cold mist, 'till we're lifeless together, together…"**_ Varric finished, his voice having gone down to the soft tone it began with. All at once the light faded, and while it was true many felt a certain well of energy dry up, it became immediately clear that it was the tactician whose toll was greatest. No sooner had he stepped off Huey than he nearly collapsed where he stood. What didn't help was the handaxe that missed his face by centimeters, a couple strands of hair falling from his head as it embedded itself in a particularly stubborn Fang soldier who thought he could take Varric out with him.

"VARRIC!" Lyn practically screamed, dashing forward and grabbing the tactician. Her expression was that of one who wanted to cry, but overwhelmed to the point of being unable to. "Are you alright?!" She quickly asked, fear in her voice before the tactician smiled weakly and nodded.

"Sorry about the close shave!" Hector said with a chuckle, but quickly went quiet when Lyn turned to face him. Before she could instigate anything, however, Varric managed to grab her by the shoulder.

"We aren't done." He said bluntly, looking towards the surprisingly calm general, who had been unmoving throughout the entire battle. Varric waved Erk over. "Erk, start prepping something big, we can end him in one fell swoop-"

"Hold up little man." A voice interrupted before Varric turned to see Chloe just before she pushed him out of the way. "I think you want to hear what Lady Lyndis has to say about this particular man.

Confused, Varric looked to Lyn with worry. "What's wrong, Lyn? Is...does he have one ability I don't know of or something?"

Lyn shook her head as she sheathed her blade, and to Varric's further confusion walked out alone. "I need to speak to him, Varric. This man is not our enemy."

"What?! What do you mean 'not our enemy'?! He's-"

"Please, Varric." Lyn cut off, her voice was calm but firm. Completely stunned, Varric just stared before hesitantly nodding. Lyn smiled in response before turning and slowly approaching the general, weapon sheathed.

Varric, seemingly stunned silent, jumped when Eliwood spoke for him. "She's not the same person she was a year ago, is she?" He said quietly as he watched the enemy general and noblewoman meet with the Legion vacating the area as well as what few Laus soldiers remained.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **You know what's better than writer's block? Starting to break through it, only for 60mph winds to suddenly leave you and 300 thousand other people without electricity or even more than the bare minimum wifi to get a connection. I have the rest of this chapter planned out but I decided f#ck it, the word count is a new record already and I'm adding enough to this section to justify splitting up this chapter into two pieces, although the second part will no doubt be much shorter.**

 **Ugh… I don't want to vent or anything but a LOT of shit is happening and long story short I can't even catch much of a break during summer vacation. I've had several panic attacks and a complete meltdown within the last 24 hours of when this goes up. The part that frustrates me most is that I have more ideas for this story than I know what to do with, and I've written drafts of scenes as far as the final chapter of the game, and I have basically an entire completely original arc planned that'll practically be the equivalent of 10 to 12 of that game's latter half chapters; Then there's the Rakshasa (You'll know what that means when we get to it), there's gonna be a character of An1meG33k's (For those who don't remember he's my Beta reader and writes his own stories… at a far slower pace, but I no longer have the ability to give him crap about that)(AG: YOU'RE GODDAMNED RIGHT, YA PRICK!) as a secondary character (think along the lines of Ursula in terms of importance), I have a special plan for my take on Linus and Lloyd, I'm gonna get WAY more use out of Karla than the game ever did, what else- OH YEAH THERE'S THE WHOLE REASON THAT THOSE REAL LIFE FLASHBACK CHAPTERS ARE NEEDED TO BEGIN WITH, gonna be a series of cameos from other games including but not limited to Dark Souls, Witcher, and Monster Hunter (key word cameo, not full on crossover, don't worry this will remain an FE story and only an FE story. I'm not gonna have the old hunters suddenly appear from an Amygdalian portal.) I have literally dozens of scenes based on certain songs, I'm just gonna try and name everything at this point: there's the already foreshadowed different take I have on the fell contract, a certain special bow being present (FE fans, you already know what bow, but I guarantee your first guess as to who will be using it is wrong), I know I'm still forgetting stuff because there's even more I have mapped out- oh right the extremely momentous events with Fargus and his crew, a completely different take on the Port of badon chapter, and lastly a very very VERY climactic disc 2 final boss at Dragon's Gate… and that's not even everything. I purposefully left out several more to avoid spoiling in addition to whatever I'm forgetting.**

 **All that and YET I CAN BARELY PROGRESS. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-** _ **404**_

 **A/G: While my good buddy Prower there has his little meltdown, I'd like to remind all of you to tip your waitresses. All joking aside, he legitimately has been working on trying to get these chapters out. It's just that the whole world seems to be conspiring against him to** _ **not**_ **do that. Hopefully this chapter can tide y'all over for now.**

… **sorry, back now. I don't want to come off as on the verge of going off the deep end. Like I've said before, come hell or high water I'm sticking with this story. On top of that initial resolve, so many of you have been incredibly understanding about delays and writer's block getting in the way, and for the most part everyone is super encouraging about my liberties taken with the original story, and I'm glad they've been well received excluding a couple of very poorly executed ideas, and even then you made it clear how I could improve on such executions in the future. Seriously, thank you all so much. Again, I'll give more warning next time I go to flashback or at least transition better, but as previously stated you can be sure probably between the end of Whereabouts Unknown and Port of Badon, certainly at the very least before Port of Badon properly starts, there'll be 2 or 3 more flashback chapters. Hope that doesn't piss off too many people ^^'**

 **(Songs used in this chapter: We All Lift Together by Keith Power. Keep dreaming, Tenno!)**


	39. Chapter 15B: The Cleaners

**FE Newbie: So actually I didn't know there was a D &D Rakshasa, but looking at their wiki entry I'm already getting ideas for a new dream sequence! So yeah they'll now also be appearing at some point. But to clarify what I meant before, I was referring to the Hindu Rakshasa and Rakshashi demons, bloodthirsty incarnation of violence and wrath, sometimes associated with the deity Asura. I'm doing my own take on the idea of a Rakshasa that… well, I'm not gonna spoil any surprises, but it's one of the things I already have written and I am IMMENSELY happy with how it turned out! ****TBH pre-FE Varric probably IS insufferable.** **You said yourself why the enemy seems so weak: Varric is an actual strategist at this point. I'll quote Sun Tzu: ""If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." Varric knows himself and he knows the enemy; the result is that everything goes perfectly. If you're worried there'll be no tension, trust me when I say you don't need to worry about that at all. Varric won't always know both himself and his enemy, and certainly won't always know those things while also being able to completely blindside the enemy.**

 **Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to give my Beta a nice old fashioned _BEATING_.**

 **(Beta Reader's Note: What did I do _this_ time?!)**

 **(AN: missed SEVERAL grammatical errors… again.)**

 **Totally didn't somehow forget about Guy last chapter and subsequently spend about a third of my time working on this chapter trying to explain that away. Starting to see why the games have a limit on how many units you can bring…**

* * *

As the Noblewoman and General stood opposite each other in the clearing, both Caelin and Laus soldiers treated the battle as already over, treating wounded and disbanding the ranks.

"Why do you seek peace, young woman?" the general asked. "I am your enemy; my commander lies inside this very castle which he took from you."

Lyn remained calm and composed, and Varric watched in both interest and bewilderment as she spoke with a sort of conviction he'd never heard from her before. "You had the chance to kill our soldiers, yet you chose to barricade them in instead. You had the chance to burn the town to the ground when the townspeople helped me escape and find a hold out. You did neither of these things, and it has not gone unnoticed." Lyn finally looked the commander dead in the eye. "I know you are a man who values life and a man who knows he is on the wrong side. I once fought such a man, and I not only see him in you, but I saw him in Bauker as well. So I make you an offer: stand down without further resistance and I swear on my honor that my men will not harm you. I cannot make the same offer to the soldiers within the castle, but if I can at least spare the lives of the soldiers in these fields, then I will do everything within my power to do so."

There was a long silence after an exhale, and as the tension mounted between the two, Varric remained unmoving until Eliwood spoke to him. "I take it you never considered diplomacy."

Varric jolted in place before turning. "Why would I? They're the enemy, and not just that but they specifically instigated all of this! They have the castle taken hostage for gods' sake."

Eliwood sighed. "I've long figured out that, while no harm is meant by it, you don't understand the importance of honor and loyalty in this world." He looked Varric in the eyes. "Those who fight often don't truly have a choice in their battles; those who abuse their power like Darin force the hands of those who pledged loyalty not to a man, but to their homeland. Try to understand that."

Suddenly there was a rumble as Bernard finally began to move, his layered armor getting the attention of many as it broke the silence. He turned to face his men, both armed and unarmed, and held his weapon aloft. "LISTEN!" He called, before gesturing with his lance towards Lyn. "We have been granted mercy by this fair woman! Tend to the wounded and gather your weapons, I ask that you prepare for one more battle!"

Lyn became apprehensive. "Excuse me?"

Bernard looked back at the noblewoman. "Lord Darin has formed a covenant with a dark organization; they will no doubt come to collect on their investment." he raised his weapon, eliciting a roar from even the most exhausted of Laus's soldiers. "I PUT MY TRUST IN YOU!" the general bellowed, "GUARD CAELIN AS IF IT WERE YOUR OWN HOME!" With that, Bernard planted his lance in the ground, marking the entrance to the castle, and leaving himself unarmed.

"Where are you going?" Lyn asked as she signaled Chloe, who had already begun instructing what Caelin soldiers were outside the castle to aid those from Laus.

Bernard didn't turn as he entered. "I plan to ask Bauker to see reason one more time… I'm sorry, but this is something I _must_ do."

All the while, Varric stared in blatant confusion and disbelief as the two sides that were enemies just moments ago began to break all rank and tend to the injured and the weary without regard for the possibility of an attack by the other side. There was a familiar chuckle behind him.

"Your understanding of combat is well honed, but your understanding of the battlefield is still quite green!" Hannah said with a toothy grin. "I'd stop gawking and start preparing if I were you. You never know what waits around the corner…"

"What are you-?"

Varric was cut off when Matthew ran up to him. "Varric, where's Guy?"

At that Varric paled. "Wait, he's not back?" Internally he began cussing himself out. " _I positioned him to take care of reinforcements, he should've only had to deal with a few enemies, not to mention he had extra vulneraries!"_ The tactician shot to his feet. "Get Priscilla and Erk, we'll-AGH!" Immediately Varric buckled over in a mixture of fatigue and exhaustion induced pain. "Dammit…"

"Hey, you alright?!" Matthew cried, alarming several others as Varric's vision blurred.

"I'll take care of it!" Priscilla said before quickly preparing her staff. "There… there's nothing wrong physically…"

Varric held up a hand as he got to his knee. "Explain later, find Guy now."

"Uh, I think we can go ahead and change that to 'help Guy.'" Lowen called from his vantage point.

Without prompting, Dorcas hauled Varric up onto his shoulder, giving the tactician a similar viewpoint. "...oh crap." Varric murmured.

* * *

" _Discretion is the better part of valor. Discretion is the better part of valor. Discretion is the better part of valor…_ "

Guy repeated the mantra to himself as he continued to evade the onslaught of assassins and myrmidons, a sizeable number of bodies still lying at the point they first began appearing. Suddenly a shadow surged forward, out of the ground and narrowly missing Guy's torso, but distracting him enough to give a spy a clear opening.

 _THUNK_.

Before Guy could even curse himself, an arrow lodged itself in the spy's heart.

"MOVE IT!" Rebecca called, before a volley of light and electricity caused the entire frontline to halt. The moment they did so, Guy broke stance and made for the party in full sprint.

* * *

"And so it begins." Hannah announced with another grin.

"Cleaners." Chloe growled through clenched teeth.

Varric turned to the surrogate general. "What?"

Oswin readied his weapon. "I'd heard rumors...the Black Fang's execution squad. They aren't the type of organization to tolerate failure or desertion."

Guy didn't stop sprinting until he'd reached Varric, panting. "Assassin's behind… flanking raiders-" he was cut off by a whack across the head from Serra.

"Let me heal you first, dummy!" She surveyed him before blinking in surprise. "Huh...he's just exhausted? How did he get out of there practically unscathed?!"

Guy shot a glare towards Serra as he stood back up. "I did what our tactician instructed, that's how."

Varric sighed in relief. "Yeah, good thing you listened then."

Chloe raised her weapon. "ALRIGHT LADS, ROUND 2 LET'S GO!"

There was a roar as the Caelin soldiers readied themselves without hesitation, but their attention was drawn to a certain lord as she stood on a rock perch. "All of you, forget about these ones; guard the town first and foremost!"

After a brief pause, the soldiers redoubled their warcry at their lady's word. Lyn turned to Varric. "Can you pick someone to support them?"

Varric immediately nodded, before calling out. "Marcus, Lowen, Guy!"

Without even needing instruction, the three broke away.

"A strong leader indeed…" Oswin observed with a smile. Before glancing at Hector. "As brave as you with half the recklessness."

"HEY!"

Before the blue lord could retort, Varric signaled for everyone to converge. "Serra and Priscilla, I need you at the ready at all times! Priority one is healing!" He turned to Florina. "They don't have archers, so take your time in the air and pick them off one at a time; play it safe first and foremost. Oswin, Kent, Sain, and Lyn? You're our frontline."

"Understood!"

Next Varric turned to the archers. "You two take shots from as far as you can, and Erk will position himself just further up to keep in range. Axemen? You remain in the backline with them, against sword and dagger you're inherently at a disadvantage, but a throwing axe is a throwing axe. You'll also be able to defend the ranged fighters if anyone slips through."

Lastly he turned to Chloe and Eliwood. "You two are the variables; go wherever help is needed near you, don't worry about keeping any strict formation." He exhaled and looked up. "EVERYONE GOT IT?!"

Hector pounded his chestplate with his gauntlet. "LET'S SHOW THEM A _REAL_ SWEEP!"

Despite the triumphant roar, Varric was biting his thumb nervously. "Just hope exhaustion doesn't catch up with us…" he muttered, surprised when Oswin placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't think we're alone in this." He advised before running for the frontline.

* * *

"What the fuck is he?!"

"DEMON!"

"FALL BACK, FALL-GACK!"

As Guy removed his blade from the brigand's lung, he turned to face the others. "You flatter me." He replied deaspan, turning his blade on the shaking but numerous raiders.

The makeshift leader brandished a swordreaver with a grin. "You lot, watch how it's done!" He announced with a malicious chuckle. The raiders began to crowdaround only for a rain of javelins to fall.

"TO ARMS!"

Guy turned in surprise as a roar from behind him signaled a company of Laus soldiers with weapons in hand surging forward, taking out the Myrmidons with ease in the absence of their axe wielding allies.

* * *

Varric looked around in bewilderment as purple joined green, Caelin and Laus side by side as the factions fought tooth and nail against the assassins.

"I told you we wouldn't be alone." Oswin suddenly said from behind, causing Varric to jump and swivel around. He saw the knight's exhaustion had fully caught up with him, but there was a faint smile on his face. "There's a saying, you know," he continued. "The enemy of-"

"-my enemy is my friend…" Varic finished.

Oswin simply smiled and nodded as the tactician watched in contemplation.

* * *

"That's the last of them!" Chloe cried out, eliciting a roar from both the Laus and Caelin soldiers. The Legion had already begun to take a much needed rest, while Lyn and Chloe looked around for their tactician.

* * *

" _Great, FANTASTIC!"_ Varric screamed in his mind, gritting his teeth in an unconscious snarl as he scrapped plan after plan. While the group had mostly been resting, he'd instead been alone, going over formations. "How the fuck am I gonna deal with _two_ Generals?!" He snapped aloud, before there was a cough behind him. Immediately Varric nearly snapped his neck, immediately spinning around to see Chloe, Lyn, and Eliwood.

"Varric, please hear them out. We can tell you've been avoiding all of us." Eliwood said bluntly. Varric started to talk back, but at the sight of what was clearly a degree of guilt on Lyn's face, his expression softened.

"…ok." He responded, his voice barely audible.

"Varric, I'm sorry. I didn't want to cause you trouble." Lyn began, apologizing right out the gate.

Varric sighed and put his head in his hands. "No, it's not your fault. It's just…why would you do that? Why would you spare him?"

The noblewoman looked at Varric, and to her surprise, there was no malice in the tactician's face. " _He truly doesn't understand… it's not wrath, it's genuine confusion."_ She thought

"Varric, Listen." Chloe commanded, snapping the tactician out of it, her own voice going quiet. "I don't know what your world is like, but in this world there's no such thing as a war where there aren't good people on each side."

"Varric, she's right…" Lyn said softly. "I understand how you feel, and it's your role to always be thinking about to protect us, not how to spare as many as possible." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That being said, there are certain decisions that won't be up to you. I will place my trust in Bernard, and while I can't make you do the same, I will not allow you to strike him or his men down while I do not will it."

Chloe grimaced as the tactician darkened. "Look, kid, you can be told who your enemies are, but that doesn't always mean you know-" the tactician raised his head, and for once the berserker stopped short.

Varric looked Chloe dead in the eyes, his expression hardened over like stone. "I do know." He replied coldly. "I've seen it time and again. Bernard could be an honest person, but he _will_ raise his weapon against us in the end. I _know_ that Bauker i _s_ a good man, but I also know that won't cause him to hesitate for even a second in striking us down." Varric stood and continued speaking, not even caring about who he was speaking to. "There are many, _many_ good men who we'll have to raise our weapons against. I've seen it play out again and again, and even now there are enemies I dread not because of their cruelty of villainous nature, but because I know they're good people who ended up on the wrong side." He turned and went back to his notes, his back to both women. "I won't go after Bernard, as you've requested," he began in the same steely tone, "but don't try and tell me that I don't know a thing about an enemy I've faced a hundred times over. Your story is far from the only one I've seen, I've seen a hell of a lot more worse scenarios than something like Bernard or Bauker."

Chloe stood there stunned silent, while Lyn simply sighed in silence as Varric turned back to his plans, head in hands. "…Thank you for adhering to my request." She replied formally before Varric heard the sound of departing footsteps.

Varric finally loosened the tension in his shoulders and sighed himself. "…Gods almighty, now what the hell am I gonna-"

As a hand placed itself on the tactician's shoulder, he jumped to see only Chloe had left, and Lyn was at his side, smiling in spite of earlier words. "Despite our exchange, I just wanted to say… it's good to have you back, Varric."

Varric softened a bit and finally smiled, albeit wearily.

"...I told you I'd be there, didn't I? Now go catch up with the others." He placed a hand over hers. "You guys need to rest while you can; this is my part."

"Lady Lyndis?" Chloe called, to which Varric nodded before the noblewoman headed back towards the main group.

* * *

As Varric finished gathering his things, he rushed forward only to immediately trip over himself with Dorcas keeping him from faceplating onto the soil. "I'm fine… I'm fine-" Varric began.

"Knock it off, boss." Dorcas said, cutting off the tactician's reassuring. "We can all see how much that display earlier took out of ya."

"Marcus!" Eliwood called, and without anything more Marcus nodded and rode up to Varric.

He extended a hand, which Varric reluctantly took. "Instruct the others as you would normally; I'll guard you from any threat." Marcus instructed.

"LET'S GET A MOVE ON!" Hector bellowed, to which the entire legion rushed forward as one into the castle.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **A certain game has given me a lot of ideas about how to handle the psychological aspects of a typical fire emblem setting. Let's just say… there can be no bravery without _madness._**

 **Me: Finally decides to stop playing FE heroes**

 **Nintendo: DEPLOY EMERGENCY MEASURES**

 **"Introducing Summer Lyn!" _MY HEART-_**

 **….and then -atk Berkut c-blocked me after I had gotten all the way to _S I X_ ****PERCENT**

 **So… college starts again about a month, and i've updated this story like twice over the course of the break. I'm legitimately wondering if college and the stress it brings will actually drag my update rate back up. Like I've said before: this story started as a creative outlet for anxiety and I channel my anxieties and stressors to help me write as a way of coping. I was just re-reading this story a couple of days ago and realized I was getting ready for 12th grade AP exams when I first started uploading these chapters. Can't express enough how happy I am that not only have I not lost an ounce of my determination to see this through to the end, but that so many people are along for the ride.**

 **I'm not writing any less by the way, i'm just writing Fire Emblem a whole lot less. Something something way in over my head, something something Persona 6.**

 **Nerd: Hey, asshole! You forget you got me here with ya?!**

 **AN: YOU'RE THE REASON WE'RE _BOTH_ IN OVER OUR HEADS SO YOU BE QUIET! ...and update your frackin YGO story already. I wanna get back to working on that too.**

 **Nerd: I'M TRYING! WRITER'S BLOCK IS A BITCH!**

 **(If you read this far, maybe check out his surging tides fic? Update schedule for it is nonexistent cause we keep writing stuff that takes place far beyond where its currently at BUT THAT JUST MEANS WE HAVE A LOT IN WAITING so its not gonna die, not if I have a damn thing to say about it. Chapter 6 got no feedback which was disappointing for both of us, cause its his story to begin with, and as for me it debuts one of my characters. It's nice to take a break from deep fully 3 dimensional characters to just ham it up the way only yugioh can.)**


End file.
